Reifer not scared of tough opponents

West Indies may be weakened without their big stars but their captain Floyd Reifer has said his side could spring a surprise as most of their opponents haven't had a chance to analyse his new-look squad.

The leading players of the Caribbean - including Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo - are missing because of a long-running contract dispute with the West Indies board.

West Indies open their campaign against Pakistan on Wednesday. "We have watched Pakistan a lot on the television," Reifer said. "We have been able to come up with some tactics but they have never watched us play, so that's good for us. There is a nervous energy in the camp but we are not scared of anyone."

West Indies' chances have also improved because Pakistan's captain Younis Khan was ruled out of the match due to a hairline fracture on the little finger of his right hand. "Losing the leader of the team, the leader of the ship, is never a good thing," Reifer said. "He is a good captain and a good batsman so that's a big blow for Pakistan."

The other two sides in West Indies' group are India and Australia, two of the favourites for the tournament. "Whether it's a tough group or not, it will be a challenge for us. There are no big-name players."

He urged his inexperienced side to seek inspiration from the West Indies' performances in the two previous Champions Trophies. "This is a major tournament and we want to do well. In 2004, we were the champions. We were underdogs then as well. In 2006, we finished runner-up."

The signs haven't been encouraging for West Indies in the lead-up to the tournament. They were thrashed by 188 runs by South Africa and lost to Sri Lanka by five wickets on Sunday.