Young guns hope for memorable World Cup

While players like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn McGrath and Sanath Jayasuriya prepare for their last World Cup, Kieron Pollard, the 19-year old West Indian allrounder and Tamin Iqbal, the 17-year old Bangladesh batsman will look to carve out similar careers. The two are the youngest players in their respective sides.

Pollard's call-up to the West Indies 15-man World Cup squad was a surprise as he is yet to play a Test or a one-day international and has only six first class matches under his belt.

But his lack of experience hasn't dampened his ambition and he has his sights set on starting the World Cup opener against Pakistan at Sabina Park on March 13. "My first goal at the tournament is to make the final eleven, and if I achieve that in the first game, I want to perform at my best, in whatever situation I go into," Pollard told AFP. "I make goals in the short term and when I achieve them I make another one."

Pollard made 14 in the West Indies' warm-up win over Kenya on March 5 and is keen to get among the runs. "A couple of 50s or even a hundred according to the situation," he said. In the seven one-day games he played for Trinidad and Tobago this season, Pollard scored 261 runs at 43.50. At a Twenty/20 match in 2006 in Antigua, he hit 83 off 38 balls before making a century against Barbados in the West Indies domestic championship.

Iqbal, who won't be 18 until March 20, already has four ODIs under his belt but is feeling his way gently with a modest 57 runs in his four innings. He announced himself at the end of 2005 when he hit 112 from just 71 balls to help Bangladesh to victory in an Under-19 international against England.

In Bangladesh's warm-up match against New Zealand Iqbal smashed a 48-ball 46 facing up to New Zealand fast bowlers Shane Bond and James Franklin. "I was not facing the name. I was facing the ball," said Iqbal. "I came to the World Cup with my mind made up. I told myself I have to be strong and brave. I just have to play my natural game and do what I know I can do."

Bangladesh also won their second warm-up game against Scotland and Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh captain, said that players like Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza, the right-arm fast-medium bowler, will be the key to Bangladesh's World Cup campaign.

"Before we came here for the World Cup nobody gave us a chance," said Bashar. "That's fine for people to say, but we are looking at getting to the second round. With Tamin and Mortaza playing so well, this is a great boost for the World Cup. Their contributions were brilliant."

West Indies play India in their last warm-up match today at the Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica and play their first match of the World Cup on March 13 at Sabina Park. Bangladesh will play their first match against India on March 17 at the Queen's Park Oval in Trindidad.