Windies hope to be slow off the mark, says Lara by AFP

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Event:

ICC World Cup 2006/07

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DateLine: 5th March 2007

 

West Indies skipper Brian Lara said Monday that he prefers his team to start the World Cup slowly, saving ammunition to ambush their rivals in the closing stages of the tournament.

 

Lara, one of a number of world class players who will be taking part in a last World Cup, is adamant that a cautious beginning to the seven-week event is key if West Indies are to break the curse of a host nation never having won the World Cup.

 

"We don't want to be one of the front-runners. We want to gradually get into our stride and surprise people coming to the end," said Lara.

 

"One of the most important things in the tournament is to pick up momentum. It is all about the team that picks up momentum that will carry us through, not the individual," he said, aware of the criticism often aimed at his side that it is a one-man team.

 

Like many others here, Lara believes that Australia's travails, which have seen them lose back-to-back series against England and New Zealand, will only serve to make the defending champions stronger.

 

Only a fool, he says, would write them off.

 

"A lot of the Test-playing nations are quite competitive and it is very hard to say any one or two countries are going to control the World Cup and win it.

 

"Australia will definitely start favourites because of their statistics and how they have played over the past few years."

 

Even if Ricky Ponting's side remain the team to beat, Lara believes that the West Indies will be in the mix in the later stages.

 

"I think the team that I am in charge of, we have been to almost every finals that has been available to us," he said.

 

"Before the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy, we went to the triangular tournament in New Zealand and got to the finals. We won the ICC tournament and two years later in the triangular tournament with Australia and India we got to the finals.

 

"Then in the ICC Champions Trophy in India last year, we got to the final before losing out to Australia."

 

The West Indies are hoping to win the World Cup for a third time having clinched the first two championships in England in 1975 and 1979.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)