But Trinidad and Tobago Red Stripe Bowl coach Bryan Davis feels he can make the statement without fear of successful contradiction. T&T head off to Guyana tomorrow to play in Zone 1 of the competition. It is a group that also includes host country Guyana, Bermuda and the Windward Islands.
It is a group from which the dethroned champions, seeking to quickly to regain the crown they lost last year, should qualify.
But will T&T go all the way? Are they equipped to? With three exceptions-Rajindra Dhanraj, Nigel Francis (both unavailable) and Lincoln Roberts (omitted)-the squad is the same as the one that played in Jamaica last year. And on paper it is a versatile group with enough bowling and batting to handle any situation. The coach is also sure they have the match fitness.
``Many of the players have been playing cricket,'' stresses Davis. ``Bishop has been playing in England. Mervyn Dillon has been very active, Richard Smith has been playing in Jamaica ...''
The coach's comments are not confined to the overseas players. ``We had good weather for quite a few trials,'' Davis adds. ``And although the wickets were not the best, still I was happy with how the batsmen applied themselves.''
Those batsmen include some of the rank and file members whose contributions could make the vital difference between Red Stripe success and failure.
``(Andre) Lawrence, (Dennis) Rampersad got some runs, (Daren) Ganga and they look in good form.'' These three came immediately to his mind. ``Somebody like Ragoonath did not get any. But I think he is more of a match player.'' It was not only the batsmen who pleased the coach.
``Last Sunday we had a practice session at Squadron ground and it went very well. Dillon, Bishop and Marlon Black looked very sharp, especially Black. Samaroo bowled a very good line and length. So did Kenneth Hazel.''
The coach is also comfortable with the fielding although the emphasis in recent sessions has been on high catching.
And catching will also be high on the priority list next week Monday and Tuesday when the local squad prepares for their opening match against Bermuda on Wednesday. But Davis knows that while catches win matches, few wins will be possible without runs on the board.
``The batting is most crucial,'' admits the coach. And the task will be for skipper Brian Lara and company's ensure that promise in practice, produces on match days, something approaching perfection.