Form and recent record adds up to an uneven contest as title-holders the West Indies launch their campaign for a place in the main draw against a youthful but less experienced Zimbabwe at the fifth ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Having bulldozed the African nation 5-0 at home earlier this year, the West Indies are keen to retain the initiative without breaking much sweat in their opening qualifying engagement against a team still looking for a maiden win in the globe's second most prestigious cricketing tournament after the World Cup.
In an anti-climactic follow-up to their fairy tale showing in England two years back, when they pipped the hosts to emerge surprise champions, the West Indies slipped to eighth spot in the ICC rankings on April 1 -- the cut-off date for deciding the six automatic entries in the knock-out tournament.
Now they are in the qualifying race for the two remaining berths along with Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Led by the legendary Brian Lara, in his third stint as captain, the Caribbeans have all the cricketing statistics rooting for them as they gear up for their first ever clash with the Zimbabweans in the showpiece biennial event, which was introduced in 1998 to fill ICC coffers.
A formidable overall 7-3 win-loss record in the previous editions of the tournament, a 10-1 ODI success against Zimbabwe and the 4-1 home series victory over fancied India this year are telling pieces of information that would make any West Indies fan crowing with delight.
The 37-year-old Lara, now approaching the end of a glorious career, has sounded confident of making it not only to the tournament proper, but also to the eventual victory podium.
Lara has underlined that he won't experiment with combination while defending the Champions Trophy.
"There is no question of experimentation in the Champions Trophy. Experiments are done keeping in view the importance of match and tournament. This is a mini-World Cup and being the
defending champions we're also under pressure and so we will field our best eleven," he said in Delhi before the team's departure for Ahmedabad.
With the in-form Ramnaresh Sarwan and the experienced Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in their ranks to shore up the batting, the West Indians should fancy their chances in the tournament.
Also, the presence of talented speed merchants Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards in the bowling department can provide hopes for a delightful journey for them in the month-long Champions Trophy.
However, inconsistency has been the bane of the men from the land of Calypso. That the West Indies batting collapsed without a trace in the last two matches of the recent DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur is a big worry for Lara and Co.
A team that made the world sit up and take notice 23 years back by first handing a shock defeat to Australia and then sending shivers down the spine of eventual champions India in the 1983 World Cup, Zimbabwe have seen their fortunes go on the decline in later years due to problems related to racism and players' issues.
They made early exits in each of the four editions of the tournament, but the youthful exuberance of the present squad could stand the Africans in good stead in crunch situations, as adventurism often clicks in the shorter version of the game.
The Zimbabweans, now in the process of rebuilding their team after the problem with rebel players, could also take heart from their recent one-day series win on home soil against Bangladesh.
Their captain and talented off-spinner Prosper Utseya is the junior-most skipper in the tournament and his side has the youngest squad among all teams.
Right-hand bat Stuart Matsikenyeri, two years older than the captain, is the most-seasoned player having played 53 ODIs.
The squads:
West Indies (from): Brian Lara (capt), Ian Bradshaw, Dwayne Bravo, Carlton Baugh, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.
Zimbabwe (from): Prosper Utseya (capt), Justice Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Terry Duffin, Anthony Ireland, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Piet Rinke, Tafadzwa Mufambisi, Gregory Strydom, Brendan Taylor.
