The promotional brochures justify that, as there is less about cricketers and more about girls in beachwear on hammocks delicately tied to coconut trees, picture postcard frames of black kids playing beach cricket with a background of super-cyan sea merging into the touched-up magenta skyline and happy families sipping weird coloured drinks from giant glasses with funny little umbrellas dipped in them.

It’s these sights plus the recent disintegration of the global cricket hierarchy post the recent Aussie slump has seen a sudden exodus spurt of optimistic fans from around the world towards the West Indies.

Safs says they are World No 1, defending champs Aussies dismiss that as fuzzy mathematics, Kiwis are flaunting the kangaroo skin they just hunted while the Barmy Army can ask both the Trans Tasman neighbours to shut up.

As for India and Pakistan, their fans don’t go by ranking charts or even form books to follow their team. Besides, the Men in Blue almost did it three years back.

Hope floats everywhere as even the tournament’s most troubled team seemed confident at their net session. Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said, “We have been in worse positions before and have come back. For us unity is important. In case we achieve that, nothing can stop us. As for the setbacks, it’s the baggage we have left at home,” he said.

Baggages didn’t seem a problem for anyone as managing director and CEO of this World Cup Chris Dehring said he achieved the impossible on the day team’s started the dress rehearsal with warm games. “We are already showing that we can deliver to world-class standards. All 16 teams arrived safely in the Caribbean and collectively received all of their 1,400 bags without incident,” he said.

... contd.