'WI must back up T20 favourites' tag'

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Captain Darren Sammy believes his star-studded West Indies have an excellent chance of winning the World Twenty20 Championship starting later this month, but says the label of favourites means nothing unless they can back it up with strong performances.

Several pundits have already named West Indies among the pre-tournament favourites for the championship that runs from September 18 to October 7 in Sri Lanka.

"We have a few of the most experienced guys in T20 cricket in our squad and the squad looks very good," Sammy said here Saturday at the start of the West Indies camp at the High Performance Centre.

'we stand a very good chance'

"Once we go out there and play to our full potential, the way we know we can play: we stand a very good chance."

West Indies will be bolstered by a battery of Indian Premier League stars, including opener Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard.

Gayle was the leading batsman in the IPL last season for Royal Challengers Bangalore, hammering 733 runs at an average of 61 with one hundred and seven half-centuries.

Narine, meanwhile, finished with 24 wickets in his first season for Chennai Super Kings, earning the Man-of-the-Series honour as he helped fire them to their maiden IPL title.