By Tony Becca - From The Boundary 
THE WEST Indies are on their way home from India and Bangladesh, their next assignment is the World Cup in South Africa starting on February 9, and although they lost the three-match Test series against India two-nil after losing the first two matches easily, they won the one-day series, won all their matches in Bangladesh, and are confident that they will do well in the Cup.
Apart from the promise of young fast bowlers Jermaine Lawson and Daren Powell and the potential of left-arm pacer Pedro Collins, the reason for the Windies confidence is the performance of their young batsmen and the expected return of the brilliant, experienced Brian Lara.
Based on their performance - obviously not against Bangladesh but against India after the first two Test matches, Christopher Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels are batting well, and with Lara joining them, the West Indies batting should be in good hands.
As good as the four youngsters are batting, however, with the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain Carl Hooper also around, only three can be accommodated in the 11 - unless the West Indies decide to go in with seven specialist batsmen and only three specialist bowlers.
That, however, is not advisable, that would be begging for trouble, regardless of who they are, the West Indies should go in with six batsmen, and if Lara, Chanderpaul, Hooper and Gayle are certainties, without even thinking of the potentially explosive Ricardo Powell, that would mean leaving out one of Hinds, Sarwan and Samuels.
The question, however, is this: would that be fair to any one of them?
Remembering that the World Cup is the showpiece of cricket, that the West Indies reputation is at stake, and that the best team should be selected, it would be fair for the simple reason that Lara, at his best, is still the top batsman in the West Indies - the one most capable of topclass performances regardless of conditions, the pitch, and the quality of the bowling.
On the other hand, however, it would not be fair. It would not be fair because as youngsters, Gayle, Hinds, Sarwan and Samuels are the future of West Indies cricket, because they are batting well and sometimes brilliantly, because they are fit and can run for 50 overs, because Lara has been out of action for sometime, and based on his history, because he has not demonstrated the level of commitment to the game and in extension to West Indies cricket to justify such privileged treatment - certainly not at the expense of young players who are now performing.
Batting on the fast, bouncy pitches of South Africa against the bowling of Australia, Pakistan and South Africa - probably even against that of New Zealand, will be a lot more difficult than batting against the attack of India on the pitches produced for the one-day matches recently, the young batsmen may be found wanting on them, the batting, more than likely, will need Lara, and if victory is the goal, the West Indies will need him.
The Lara the Windies will need, however, the Lara who deserves to be selected ahead of any of the youngsters, is a Lara in form.
The problem is that he has been out of action for a long time and will not have the opportunity between now and the World Cup to demonstrate his form, and all things considered, in fairness to the youngsters they all should play.
Chances are they all will play - and so too Lara.
The West Indies' first match in the World Cup is some six weeks away but it is almost a safe bet that they will not choose between their talented youngsters - their young guns - and their master batsman. Chances are they will go for seven specialist batsmen with Hooper, Gayle, Hinds and Samuels supporting three specialist bowlers.
