WEST INDIES NEWS

lara wants improvement

West Indies captain Brian Lara has called on his team to put on a show for the fans in their final two World Cup matches.

The hosts have endured a miserable tournament and will bow out after two now meaningless Super Eight games against Bangladesh and England.

The inquest into the West Indies' failure to reach the semi-finals is already getting under way but Lara, who himself will retire from one-day internationals after the competition, wants to restore some pride.

Lara said: "We want to finish on a high and we have got two games left. It is very important to us to do something at this stage and the guys are very aware of that.

"The fans have been very supportive throughout the World Cup and it is high time that we come to the party and give a good performance."

The West Indies got through their group well enough with wins over Pakistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe but Super Eight losses to Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa have ended their hopes.

Bangladesh also cannot make the last four, and like the West Indies have just two Super Eight points to their name, but for them the tournament has been a positive experience.

The Tigers were not expected to come through a group including Sri Lanka and India and they have shown encouraging signs of progress.

As a result, Lara is expecting a competitive game when the sides meet at the Kensington Oval in Barbados tomorrow.

Lara said: "We have been disappointing in the first four games of the second round but a team like Bangladesh, for them, every game against a Test-playing nation is a big opportunity.

"We are aware of that and we are going to come out hard and give our very best."

The West Indies could make changes with batsman Lendl Simmons in the reckoning for a place.

Bangladesh, who beat South Africa earlier in the tournament, are hoping to bounce back after losing to Ireland in their last game.

Tigers skipper Habibul Bashar said: "One day we look brilliant and the next we are ordinary. We need to be more consistent."