Clippings: Caribbean cool to the Cup

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, March 9
For a supposedlycricket-worshipping people, the West Indians have taken their time to join theWorld Cup party which has arrived on their shores.
The week's warm-up matcheshave, almost without exception, been lukewarm and rather predictable affairsplayed out before audiences which could be counted in tens rather than thousandsor even hundreds.For the Indian team whose every step back home is followed bydozens of die-hard faithfuls behind them, the lack of interest must have beenparticularly disconcerting as if they had collectively forgotten theirdeodorants and breath-fresheners.
Tournament organisers have, however, beenquick to downplay suggestions around the islands of apathy with the message:"Just wait until Friday.
"Friday has now arrived and with it some mouth-watering"warms-ups" headlining with the oldest, grandest fixture of them all --Australia v England on St Vincent.There is a pretty impressive supporting castincluding hosts West Indies against India in Jamaica Trelawny, Pakistan versusSouth Africa in Trinidad and Tobago and New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the 3WsStadium in Barbados.It is a line-up to whet the appetite of all but thethoroughly disinterested which traditionally West Indies have been anything but.If they do not come out to watch these, then the World Cup really is in trouble.
All week, the "Big Eight" in action on Friday have done their bestto talk up the day's action which will be the final serious test for them allbefore Sunday's opening ceremony in Jamaica followed by the first match onTuesday.The problem, as Australian captain Ricky Ponting pointed out this week,is that the need for a timely morale-boosting win must be counter-balanced by adesire not to gorge on the hors d'oeuvres before the main course is served.Accordingly, he still plans to experiment with his bowling attack and hintedthat as many as eight of his 13-man line-up could be given the ball.Others suchas Sri Lanka and India will simply wish to fine tune their preparations afterconvincing wins in their first matches.None, though, will want their finalwork-outs upset by a defeat which, as New Zealand skipper Stephen Flemingconceded after their surprise warm-up beating by Bangladesh, may serve as awake-up call but would hardly be a welcome one.