As the world cup 2007 is coming nearer and nearer, there are some intriguing questions, which needs to be answered especially if you are a West Indian supporter. Though dispute between board and player associations has calm down a bit at least for the moment but the big question that remains to be answered is: Whether host nation is good enough to give some joy to the Caribbean people that are eagerly waiting some good news from their players.

There is no denying that appointment of Brian Charles Lara as a captain is a right decision especially when you take into consideration the captaincy of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul. Though many of the West Indian greats are against this decision, but the point is: Are there any suitable choices? Ramnaresh Sarwan as a player has matured a lot and has started converting 50s into big scores but I don't think he is a leader. He lacks the killer instinct that one can see quite evidently in Brian Lara.

Next in the list is Chris Gayle. There is no doubt in his ability as a player. He is one of the most explosive batsmen in the world and in my opinion brilliant all rounder in the shorter form of game but seeing him as a skipper of a West Indian team. Give me a break? Westindess at the present moment need a person who can interact with players both on and off the field. Chris Gayle as a personality is so relax in the cricketing field that one can't expect any different off the field.

All these things, clearly pinpoint that the appointment of Brian Lara as a captain of Westindess team until World cup is a best option for the host nation. Under the captaincy of Brian Lara, Westindess recently defeated Zimbabwe and more formidable and fancied opposition India recently. One can clearly see there is no dearth of talent in Westindess but what these players lacked is the consistency.

Look for instance at Marlon Samuels. Believe me, this player has so much talent but for one reason or another lacks consistency. Marlon Samuels who more or less struggled during the one day series against India and Zimbabwe played one of the scintillating knocks of the one day cricket against India in India to help Westindess clinch the rare away series victory. Player can't lose his skill in matter of few years. Same thing happens with Ricardo Powell who also played a breathtaking knock against India at Singapore but at present has virtually disappeared. All these players have so much quality that it is indeed surprising why they don't make full use of their ability?

If you look at the present one-day team of Westindess, one can clearly say that their batting is world class. Presence of players like Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul makes them a real treat to watch. They can thrash any attack on their day. Furthermore, all these players are match winner in their own right. Daren Ganga has also started fulfilling some promise and if people like Wavell Hinds and Marlon Samuel start contributing too, Westindess batsman can be a headache to Lees, Akhtars, Muralis and Harmisons.

Coming to all rounder category, Dwayne Bravo, though not as good as Andrew Flintoff or Jacques Kallis but one thing for sure he can be termed as an all rounder in proper sense. His batting is improving with every passing game and as a bowler he has lots of tricks in his armory. Not only he can swing the new and old ball but most importantly has a very good slower bowl too. Ask Yuvraj Singh or any Indian fan about that slower ball? Dwayne Smith is also a very good one-day player but once again as is the case with players like Powell and Samuels, just don't want to make full use of his talent.

Just a one glance at Dwayne Smith and you are bound to say 'What a player'. But god knows why he wants to hit every ball for a six. Talking about West Indian bowling, there is promise galore in form of Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor but they lack necessary experience to tackle crunch situations especially in one-day cricket. And that's where I think they can struggle a bit. If players like Gilchrist or Pieterson apply some pressure on these inexperienced bowlers, they can crumble. Ian Bradshaw and Corey Collymore are pretty experienced bowlers but sadly they lack the pace. On wicket keeping front, Denesh Ramdin and Carlton Baugh has immense potential both with the gloves and lower down with the bat. So there are no hassles there.

Keeping these things aside, it is of paramount importance that Brian Charles Lara leads from the front. Fact of the matter is if Westindess have to won the most coveted prize in one day cricket then not only Lara have to contribute heavily with the bat but also be instrumental in generating the team ethics within the players. They have to play as a team of eleven players not as an individual. If everything goes to the plan, it will be a perfect gift for the master of the game as well as for the people of Caribbean who deserve this title the most on the sheer basis of tradition, passion and what Westindess as a team have done to the world cricket.

By Vipin Agnihotri