Viv Richards ... sees a balanced World Cup. - Contributed

Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter

SIR VIVIAN Richards, who played on two victorious West Indian World Cup teams, believes the hosts can make it crown number three this year.

Speaking to Sir Vivian in a telephone interview earlier this week, The Gleaner took a peek into his thoughts on the 2007 World Cup and he feels it is anybody's to win.

"To me this World Cup is going to be one of the more balanced World Cups that we have seen," Sir Viv said.

"Just recently we saw what England did to Australia, then New Zealand doing what they did to Australia at home," he said.

"So most of the top teams coming in aren't coming in with the best of confidence at this stage."While he sees the tournament as anybody's 'the Master Blaster' admits there is much work the West Indies will have to do if they are to go all the way.

"The way the West Indies should treat this would be to believe they are on equal standing with what's represented here in the World Cup," Sir Viv, the West Indies greatest runscorer at World Cups, said."They've got to believe it. We've been talking about that talent for years and seen that talent begin to mature. I think the time is right for it to surface and for us to start seeing the consistency that goes with being a good team," he said.

As for the make-up of the team, the former chairman of the board of selectors thinks his present-day counterparts have got it right.

Balanced team

"I think it is a balanced team. We all are going to have grumbles about who's playing and who's not playing, but I think we have a team that is balanced enough, young enough and yet experienced enough for us to get the job done. It is up to the individuals.

"I believe they are talented enough. Whether they believe it or not, that is something else, " explained Richards.

Speaking of Richards' former duties as a West Indies selector, The Gleaner asked if there was a return to administrative duties in his future but, as far as Sir Vivian is concerned, that is unlikely.

"There's a whole lot of things that have to be done before I can play a role again in West Indies cricket. "I had a slight stay for two or three years when I was chairman of selectors, but that was pretty rocky and why I say rocky is there were too many people who were involved who did not know much about the sport itself and its requirements - the disciplinary factors attached to the sport itself.

"I really wouldn't like to place myself in that situation again," said Richards.

That aside, Richards believes this World Cup is the most special in the tournament's history.

"This World Cup will be especially special for the young players in the West Indies team because they are playing on home soil and even if they have played in World Cups before they don't know when they'll get an opportunity to do it at home again."