By Rajiv Bisnauth

PROBABLY the most destructive team in the competition, West Indies have all the ingredients to go on and win the ICC World T20 in India.

As bowling legend Curtly Ambrose rightly pointed out, they have a number of T20 superstars playing in various leagues around the world and a team comprising Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy should be considered as favourities to win any T20 format.
However, what goes against them is the perpetual conflict present in their cricket, with the fight between the players and the board escalating with each passing year.
Added to that is the pulling out of important players like Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons for various reasons. If the team can put up a cohesive front, they are a very dangerous team to face.
West Indies have been drawn in Group 1 along with England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Afghanistan (Group B winners).
They possess some of the best match-winners in the T20 format and if they can get past the controversy and infighting that seem to dog them, they stand a good chance of reaching the knock-out stages.

The Darren Sammy-led side climbed to No.1 in the ICC T20 rankings in January before India defeated Australia and Sri Lanka to get the top spot and push the Caribbean team to second place with 118 rating points.
However, Chronicle Sport spoke with a few former cricketers enthusiasts about the West Indies chances.
Former Guyana batsman and coach, Mark Harper, feels the fearless and uninhibited style of play makes West Indies a dangerous team in the shortest format and a strong contender for winning the tournament.
“I think we are doing extremely well in the T20 format. Obviously India will start as favourties because of the home conditions which will favour spin, and their batsmen are more used to those conditions but having said that West Indies have some dangerous spinners as well.
“Once we bowl and field well we definitely have a good chance,” the 58-year-old said.
Local cricket commentator, Inderjeet Persaud acknowledged that West Indies chances are as good as any other team.
“We have some of the best T20 players in the world; they are proven match-winners in the format, and if they can bring their A game to the table there is no reason why West Indies cannot win the tournament,” Persaud pointed out.
However, Persaud too feels India will start as favourties because of the home conditions.
Former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is of the opinion that West Indies all-round abilities will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.
“We have a number of match-winners, and our all-round abilities give us the edge,” Sarwan revealed.
The West Indies play England in their opening game on March 16 before taking on Sir Lanka on March 20, South Africa on March 25 and Group B qualifiers on March 27.
The full squad reads: Darren Sammy (captain), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Denesh Ramdin (wkp.), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.