SWOT analysis: Windies banks on firepower to go deep

The two-time world champion qualified for the tournament by finishing runner-up in the World Cup Qualifier tournament held in Zimbabwe last year.

Andre Russell checks on Usman Khawaja after hitting the opener with a bouncer in a World Cup warm-up game.

Jason Holder will lead the West Indies in a second consecutive World Cup. The two-time world champion qualified for the tournament by finishing runner-up in the World Cup Qualifier tournament held in Zimbabwe last year.

Strengths

West Indies' greatest strength is its players who can seamlessly translate the T20 way of playing to the 50-over format. The objective will be to have maximum impact over short phases. Except Shai Hope, West Indies' batting comprises of hard-hitting batsmen. A couple of breezy innings from the likes of Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran can disrupt the opposition game-plan and shift the momentum of the match.

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West Indies, like most of the other teams in the World Cup, also bat deep, with all-rounder and captain Holder likely to slot himself at No. 7 behind Russell or Carlos Brathwaite. So, West Indies has the flexibility in its batting line-up to counter different match situations.

Weaknesses

Though a lot of teams struggle to defend totals in what is a growing trend in ODI cricket, West Indies has shown an inability to defend scores when it has bowled second, giving a suggestion that its bowling attack can crack under pressure.

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In the tri-series final against Bangladesh, the Windies bowlers were unable to defend 209 runs in 24 overs. In February, England chased down 361 with eight balls to spare. This is a weakness the opposition will look to exploit.

Opportunities

For the West Indies, which is trying to regain its identity under Holder’s leadership, the 2019 World Cup is an opportunity to assess if it can churn out good results consistently against the top teams.

Threats

West Indies will believe it can beat any team on a given day, but the challenge will be to stay consistent to give itself the chance of reaching the semifinals.

Squad: Jason Holder (capt), Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas.