From West Indies Cricket Board president, Reverend Wes Hall, to the ordinary man in the streets of the many Caribbean countries, there is renewed and heightened hope that the West Indies stand a fair chance of gaining World Cup glory.

The Caribbean cricketers are presently in Antigua for an extensive two-week World Cup preparatory camp and prior to its launch on Monday, Reverend Hall boasted that the WICB is ensuring the squad “will be the best prepared West Indies team ever”.

“The board has done everything to ensure the team is ready,” Hall said noting his body has “come up with a great programme”.

Hall also noted the “preparations have been carefully analysed to meet the team’s needs” and said legendary former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has been asked to make the pitches quicker for the simulated practice matches.

Hall’s optimism is shared by captain Hooper, who says the Windies “have a very good chance of doing well”.

“We have been playing good one-day cricket for the last year now and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t continue,” Hooper said on arrival in Antigua for the camp.

“I expect us to play well in this World Cup. I expect that we will go through to the second round,” added Hooper.

Bookmakers have also taken note of the West Indies recent resurgence and have shortened the odds on the regional team lifting the coveted Cup for the first time following their success in the first two tournaments in 1975 and 1979 under the leadership of Clive Lloyd.

After their morale-shattering last-ball loss to South Africa in their first round zonal match of the ICC Champions Trophy ‘Mini World Cup’ in Sri Lanka on September 13, the Windies have won their last two one-day series.

Firstly, the Caribbean cricketers produced a number of electrifying batting performances to beat India 4-3 in the sub-continent in a seven-match One-Day series, marred by crowd disturbances.

Secondly, minus Hooper, star batsman Brian Lara and fast-bowling spearhead Mervyn Dillon, the Windies whipped minnows Bangladesh 2-0 in a three-match contest after holding the upper hand in the rain-ruined first ODI.

Having defeated Stephen Fleming's combative New Zealand outfit 3-1 in their series in the Caribbean last July, the West Indies have been steadily improving.

Young players such as Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Pedro Collins and Jermaine Lawson, have all emerged with encouraging and enterprising performances, leading to renewed enthusiasm in the Windies camp.

The victory in India came against the odds as the West Indies had to battle against a hostile crowd, which disrupted the first three matches, including the third which was controversially awarded to the home team by the match referee after it was prematurely abandoned.

Led by dashing opening pair Gayle and Hinds, the West Indies were able to get off the grid very swiftly, motoring along at a fast clip in the first 15 overs when the field restrictions were in place with just two players outside the circle.

Gayle, in particular, was in awesome form, hammering three centuries while young middle order batsmen Sarwan and Samuels were also in dazzling form.

The more seasoned Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Hooper also weighed in with vital runs as well as Ricardo Powell when he was given the opportunity to showcase his attacking batting skills.

The return of batting supremo Lara, after recovering from illness during the ICC Champions Trophy, will be an added bonus for the West Indies, whose young batsmen have been starting to showcase their immense batting skills.

Despite the encouraging signs from the young brigade, Lara, with 14 centuries in 7 549 runs in 203 matches at an average of 42.64 and Hooper’s outstanding all-round record of 5 663 runs, 190 wickets and 115 catches in 221 matches, will still be the two players feared most by opposing teams.

Once Lara is fully fit and in good form as well as Hooper, following his knee operation in Australia late last year, the West Indies will be fancying their chances of advancing from Pool ‘B’.

But the relatively inexperienced One-Day bowlers will have to play their part if the West Indies are to upstage Pool ‘B’ heavyweights, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand as well as lightweights Bangladesh, Kenya and Canada.

The West Indies bowling will be led by seasoned professional Vasbert Drakes, who is extremely familiar with conditions in South Africa, having spent the last six seasons with provincial side, Border.

Drakes, fresh from three consecutive four-wicket hauls against Bangladesh, will receive his main support from Dillon, the deceptive left-armer Collins and the young fiery Lawson.

In the absence of a specialist spinner, Hooper, Gayle and Samuels, who can all be considered spinning all-rounders in the one-day game, will provide support with their relatively flat and economical off-spin bowling.

Seamer Corey Collymore and the recalled fast bowler Nixon McLean, who is also familiar with conditions in South Africa having played for KwaZulu-Natal complete the West Indies six-pronged, pace attack.

One encouraging aspect of the West Indies’ set-up, is that they no longer have a lengthy tail as a couple of their bowlers, noticeably Drakes and McLean are capable of scoring useful runs.

Last but by no means least; reliable wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs will be a key cog in the West Indies’ wheel with his efficient wicket-keeping and effective lower order batting in the closing overs.

Jacobs will have fond memories of South Africa where he was a standout in his debut Test series in 1998-1999, both in front and behind the stumps.

The West Indies begin their World Cup campaign on February 9 in Cape Town against the South Africans, who have beaten them 18 times against eight losses in 26 One-Day Internationals.