West Indies look for fast start

Hosts West Indies get things under way in the ninth World Cup on Tuesday when they take on Pakistan at Sabina Park in Jamaica knowing victory would be a massive boost not only to their overall chances but also to the success of the competition in the Caribbean.

When the hosts do well, the World Cup is always a success and when they don't - as in 2003 when South Africa crashed out at the group stage - it can struggle.

West Indies had a bit of a nightmare in their last warm-up game as they were skittled for a low score, but that should not be a factor in this match as they should all be intent on putting on a show in front of their fans and the world watching on television.

On paper, the sides are fairly even, but much will depend on how West Indies bat. If they get off to a good start and the likes of Chris Gayle, captain Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan hit top form, then they will be in a good position.

If not, then they will have to rely on their bit-part players to come good and that is an awful lot of pressure to place on relatively inexperienced players, on such a big stage.

Bet365 make West Indies 4/6 (1.66) favourites to win the match with Pakistan 6/5 and that's probably about right.

Pakustan are a hugely talented side, boasting a couple of world-class batsmen in captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, together with dangerous performers in the likes of Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi.

Their problem comes in putting it all together at the same time as they can be notoriously unreliable. With no Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, they lack a bit of firepower and their main problem could be taking wickets.

Gayle the key
As said, if Chris Gayle fires, then Pakistan will have a big problem on their hands as the left-handed opener scores so fast that he can put a one-day game beyond any side's reach when he is on.

He should be fully motivated and bet365's 4/6 on West Indies making the higher score after 10 overs looks worth taking.

In the top batsmen markets, Gayle is favourite for the West Indies at 3/1, just ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a superb one-day player, at 7/2 and Lara is next at 4/1. Sarwan is 5/1 and Marlon Samuels is 11/2.

For Pakistan, Yousuf, who could be a star of the competition if Pakistan progress far, is 10/3 favourite, with Khan 4/1. Inzamam and Imran Nazir are both 5/1 while Mohammad Hafeez is 11/2.