All-rounder Carlos Brathwaite is eager to have the West Indies emulate 1975 and 1979 World Cup titles.

The West Indians won the World Twenty20 in 2012 and 2016, but have not won a World Cup in over 40 years.

‘If we can win, we can be looked upon in the way that the team of ’75 and ’79 was looked upon, as heroes of sorts,’ he was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council’s website.

‘Once we do the things we’re supposed to do, often we should go far enough in the tournament. It’s one of our better chances in the last 40 years or so to win the World Cup, so it’s time for us to show up and show off. On our day, in semi-finals and finals we have some guys who can win it on their own.”

Former captain Chris Gayle was key to those twin World Twenty20 triumphs – and is part of the squad for the ongoing World Cup in the United Kingdom. Batsman Shai Hope, meanwhile, has emerged as a genuine talent – and struck a superb century in a recent warm-up match against New Zealand.

‘Obviously, Chris has done that in the Test and ODI format, and then he is ‘Universe Boss’ in T20s as well. The young guys like Shai are aspiring to reach the heights that Chris has reached,’ added Brathwaite.

The West Indies’ 2019 World Cup campaign will start against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday.

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