The traditional view is that Barbados has been the strongest part of the West Indies team and indeed a best ever eleven from them does look terrifying, with Greenidge and Haynes opening, the three W's in the middle order, and a pace attack of Hall, Marshall and Garner. Oh and Garry Sobers too. Only real weakness is that they don't have a top spinner (Suleiman Benn is the best they could do, I think unlikely to be picked even on a turner).
1. Gordon Greenidge
2. Desmond Haynes
3. Conrad Hunte
4. Everton Weekes
5. Clyde Walcott +
6. Seymour Nurse
7. Frank Worrell *
8. Garry Sobers
9. Wes Hall
10. Malcolm Marshall
11. Joel Garner
By contrast, Guyana would be preparing bunsens right left and centre, with a brilliant batting line up, and Gibbs, Harper and Hooper to share slow bowling duties, but no-one really to share the new ball with Colin Croft (John Trim had the best figures, but only a brief international career). They are also missing a top draw keeper - they might let occasional keeper Kanhai take the gloves to allow Trim in, or to pick Ramnaresh Sarwan.
1. Roy Fredericks
2. Carl Hooper
3. Alvin Kallicharran
4. Rohan Kanhai
5. Clive Lloyd*
6. Basil Butcher
7. Shiv Chanderpaul
8. Clifford McWatt+
9. Roger Harper
10. Colin Croft
11. Lance Gibbs
No-one would want to bat against Jamaica and their hugely intimidating fast bowling quartet of Holding, Walsh, Gilchrist and Patterson (and unlike Barbados they have a handy spin option to bring in if conditions demanded it, Alf Valentine). And who better to keep to them than Jeff Dujon. The batting isn't as consistent as some of the other islands though, despite Headley (born in Panama, but played his cricket for Jamaica) and Rowe in the middle order
1. Chris Gayle
2. John Holt
3. Jimmy Adams *
4. George Headley
5. Lawrence Rowe
6. Marlon Samuels
7. Jeffrey Dujon +
8. Michael Holding
9. Roy Gilchrist
10. Patrick Patterson
11. Courtney Walsh
Probably the best balanced team is Trinidad and Tobago, good batting, lots of all-rounders, and pace, swing and spin options. Could be the surprise package.
1. Jeffrey Stollmeyer
2. Charlie Davis
3. Brian Lara
4. Larry Gomes
5. Gus Logie
6. Dwayne Bravo
7. Gerry Gomez
8. Learie Constantine*
9. Deryck Murray+
10. Ian Bishop
11. Sonny Ramadhin
The Leeward Islands suffer from not having produced many top cricketers for large part of the regions history and despite a period in the 80s and early 90s when they produced a rich crop it's diffcult to see them competing on an equal footing, especially with the bat. That said any side with Richards, Richardson, Ambrose and Andy Roberts can't be totally ignored. Eldine Baptiste maintains his historic Windies role as back up.
1. Stuart Williams
2. Keith Arthurton
3. Viv Richards *
4. Richie Richardson
5. Kieran Powell
6. Ridley Jacobs +
7. Derick Parry
8. Winston Benjamin
9. Kenny Benjamin
10. Andy Roberts
11. Curtley Ambrose
They wouldn't be the whipping boys though, that would be the unfortunate Windward Islands, who lack a single genuine great.
1. Devon Smith
2. Andre Fletcher
3. Irvine Shillingford
4. Johnson Charles
5. Darren Sammy*
6. Junior Murray+
7. Norbert Phillip
8. Winston Davis
9. Shane Shillingford
10. Nixon McLean
11. Cameron Cuffy
1. Gordon Greenidge
2. Desmond Haynes
3. Conrad Hunte
4. Everton Weekes
5. Clyde Walcott +
6. Seymour Nurse
7. Frank Worrell *
8. Garry Sobers
9. Wes Hall
10. Malcolm Marshall
11. Joel Garner
By contrast, Guyana would be preparing bunsens right left and centre, with a brilliant batting line up, and Gibbs, Harper and Hooper to share slow bowling duties, but no-one really to share the new ball with Colin Croft (John Trim had the best figures, but only a brief international career). They are also missing a top draw keeper - they might let occasional keeper Kanhai take the gloves to allow Trim in, or to pick Ramnaresh Sarwan.
1. Roy Fredericks
2. Carl Hooper
3. Alvin Kallicharran
4. Rohan Kanhai
5. Clive Lloyd*
6. Basil Butcher
7. Shiv Chanderpaul
8. Clifford McWatt+
9. Roger Harper
10. Colin Croft
11. Lance Gibbs
No-one would want to bat against Jamaica and their hugely intimidating fast bowling quartet of Holding, Walsh, Gilchrist and Patterson (and unlike Barbados they have a handy spin option to bring in if conditions demanded it, Alf Valentine). And who better to keep to them than Jeff Dujon. The batting isn't as consistent as some of the other islands though, despite Headley (born in Panama, but played his cricket for Jamaica) and Rowe in the middle order
1. Chris Gayle
2. John Holt
3. Jimmy Adams *
4. George Headley
5. Lawrence Rowe
6. Marlon Samuels
7. Jeffrey Dujon +
8. Michael Holding
9. Roy Gilchrist
10. Patrick Patterson
11. Courtney Walsh
Probably the best balanced team is Trinidad and Tobago, good batting, lots of all-rounders, and pace, swing and spin options. Could be the surprise package.
1. Jeffrey Stollmeyer
2. Charlie Davis
3. Brian Lara
4. Larry Gomes
5. Gus Logie
6. Dwayne Bravo
7. Gerry Gomez
8. Learie Constantine*
9. Deryck Murray+
10. Ian Bishop
11. Sonny Ramadhin
The Leeward Islands suffer from not having produced many top cricketers for large part of the regions history and despite a period in the 80s and early 90s when they produced a rich crop it's diffcult to see them competing on an equal footing, especially with the bat. That said any side with Richards, Richardson, Ambrose and Andy Roberts can't be totally ignored. Eldine Baptiste maintains his historic Windies role as back up.
1. Stuart Williams
2. Keith Arthurton
3. Viv Richards *
4. Richie Richardson
5. Kieran Powell
6. Ridley Jacobs +
7. Derick Parry
8. Winston Benjamin
9. Kenny Benjamin
10. Andy Roberts
11. Curtley Ambrose
They wouldn't be the whipping boys though, that would be the unfortunate Windward Islands, who lack a single genuine great.
1. Devon Smith
2. Andre Fletcher
3. Irvine Shillingford
4. Johnson Charles
5. Darren Sammy*
6. Junior Murray+
7. Norbert Phillip
8. Winston Davis
9. Shane Shillingford
10. Nixon McLean
11. Cameron Cuffy
Comment