While I remain cognisant that one swallow does not make a summer, unlike some local pundits, who are seemingly reluctant to commit themselves, I believe the West Indies team has turned the proverbial corner, setting the stage for better times.

Regardless of whether or not we retain the ICC Champions Trophy, based on the high level of commitment and application I have been seeing in the vast majority of the players within recent times, I now have enough reasons to believe that we are on course to become the top team in the world once again.

In looking at the way the West Indies team played in our recent wins against Australia, India and South Africa, and even in losing to England, I saw a type of maturity in our batting, bowling and fielding that I have not seen possibly since the early 1990s. In addition, the cohesiveness on the field was clearly that of a unified team.

new discipline

While I have always recog-nised that at their best, Shiv Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan are all quality batsmen, I like the new discipline I am seeing in their approach, which is helping to lift the burden off skipper Brian Lara. They all seem to be assessing the games properly and are now batting to suit particular situations.

As a result of the greater discipline and commitment coming from the top batsmen, it would appear that the likes of Dwayne Bravo and Runako Morton are being so inspired that they too are showing much maturity. Should Wavel Hinds, Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh Jr.and Marlon Samuels quickly fall into line, we could well have an awesome batting team going into next year's World Cup.

In the bowling department, I am more than impressed with the rapid development of Jerome Taylor, who seems to be going great guns in his bid to fulfil his Malcolm Marshall-like potential. It would appear that with Ian Bradshaw and Corey Collymore both remaining steady and consistent for the most part, our seam bowling is now reasonably effective if not potent.

While not on par with the likes of Shane Warne and Mutiah Muralitharan, I am also very please with the spinning option that both Gayle and Samuels provide. After watching them pretty much stifling some of the best batsmen in the world within recent times, I am just hoping and praying that they will continue in much the same vein come next year's World Cup.

quality captain

The captaincy of Lara has also been quite good if not great. While I have always supported Lara in his various stints as captain, I must concede that I have never seen him as prepared and ready for the job as he is at this time. It is clear that he is providing the motivation and inspiration that is required to get the best out of the players and he really seems to be enjoying the job.

I must also concede that after spending so much time criticising coach Bennett King for his slowness in turning around the fortunes of the West Indies team, I believe there is no question that he is now delivering on his promise. The players are now looking as fit as any West Indian team I have ever seen and their batting, bowling and fielding has regained the missing excitement of former years.

With the current projections seeming to suggest that the region could suffer substantial financial losses from its ambitious decision to host next year's World Cup, it is of critical importance that the West Indies team performs well because they may well be the only satisfaction we will probably get from hosting this tournament.

N.B. Special congratulation to son of the west, international umpire Steve Bucknor, who recently completed another enviable milestone when he officiated in his 150th One Day International. I still believe the new Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay should be named in his honour.