Hooper positive Windies will advance in World Cup
Stabroek News
January 15, 2003
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua - A fit-looking West Indies cricket captain Carl Hooper believes his side can reach the second round of the World Cup in South Africa next month if there is a big effort from the team. And he said he has recovered from a recent operation on both knees.
Hooper arrived in Antigua Monday, to join the rest of the 15-man training squad plus five reserves for the camp that started here Monday. He arrived a few hours after the Trinidadian contingent - Brian Lara, Mervyn Dillon and reservist, Darren Ganga - and Nixon McLean of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and another standby player, Devon Smith of Grenada.
The stylish right-handed batsman, who missed his team's Bangladesh tour after a visit to India late last year said his troops can do well in South Africa and reach the Super Six knock-out stage after the group stage.
"I expect us to do well in this World Cup," Guyanese Hooper said.
"I expect that we will go through to the second round which is the Super Six. The top three will go."
The 36-year-old Hooper is reckoning that his young emerging team can get the measure of India and New Zealand as shown in their recent limited overs series.
While South Africa and Sri Lanka will provide a stern test, Hooper is not underestimating the other teams.
"Obviously every game is going to be important even (matches) against the weaker nations you can't take for granted because it is a one-off chance. So it is very important to make sure when we hit South Africa, we hit the ground running.
"It is going to take a team- effort. Obviously there are some key guys in the side we want to fire but as we have shown in the last couple of months that the young players are coming through and they are beginning to score pretty heavily. So there's no reason why that shouldn't continue."
Hooper's main concern was the West Indies' bowling attack, which conceded high scores in the one-day series against India while winning the series 4-3.
"Looking back at that last series in India, we probably have been going for a little bit. There have been high scores. Having said that the wickets were extremely good. We have got a chance to put that right in the next couple of weeks and then in South Africa."
He said the operation done in Australia was a success.
"I had both legs done about five weeks ago. They have recovered well. It was not anything major. I had a good doctor. He came highly recommended and he did a good job. It was my first time under the knife. It was comfortable and everything went smoothly and the rehab work has been good so I'm looking forward for the next couple of weeks.
"I've been in the nets for the last 10 days at the South Australian cricket ground but that was purely machine so I'm looking forward to the camp."
The first week of the camp will be devoted to mental and physical preparation at the Jolly Beach hotel, which has gym and pool facilities. The following week will be devoted to match play with two day/night practice matches at the Airport Cricket Ground, which boasts newly installed floodlights.
"The preparation is important. We've had these sorts of camps before and (then we go off on tour) sometimes it has helped and sometimes it hasn't.
The important thing is to make sure that when we get to South Africa we are ready to play good cricket."
Asked about his conditioning, Hooper said the break had done him well. "I had almost six weeks break so that would have done me good but we have got a lot of cricket coming up.
We have got the World Cup, the Aussies (Australians touring the Caribbean) and the Sri Lankans, a lot to look forward to," said Hooper, who is appearing in his first World Cup tournament since 1992.
Hooper pulled out of the 1996 tournament in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for personal reasons, and retired from international cricket just ahead of the 1999 World Cup in England. (CMC)
