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Amidst the glamour, style and excitement associated with Caribbean cricket, Brian Lara and his buoyant West Indies team headed for the World Cup last night.

They left hoping to rewind the clock and vowing to put behind them the sudden retirement of Carl Hooper.

After a grand send-off in which John King provided the major entertainment and in which Lara was feted on his 30th birthday, the West Indies captain spoke of the optimism that was running through the team.

``I think the guys are very confident and we all hope that history can repeat itself,'' he said in reference to the fact that West Indies have reached the final every time England hosted the tournament.

``We're looking forward to playing in the World Cup, and, as I said, we are quietly very confident.''

Hundreds of excited supporters converged on the Grantley Adams International Airport for a farewell party hosted by new team sponsors Carib.

No one, including Lara, would let the stunning retirement of Hooper dampen the occasion, which was highlighted by Alison Hinds' rendition of Happy Birthday to the champion Trinidadian left-hander.

``Carl has made a decision and it's a decision only he himself can make,'' Lara told reporters in the Club Caribbean Lounge.

``He knows exactly what is happening. He thinks it is time and we've got to all respect that.

``The World Cup is of utmost importance. We've got to forget whatever handicap we have with the absence of Carl.''

Lara, a close friend of Hooper, admitted that the West Indies had played good cricket with the Guyanese all-rounder and had also performed exceptionally in his absence.

``I have to respect his decision. Carl is a good friend of mine. Everyone knows what an international sportsman goes through,'' Lara said.

``He is not going to make a decision like that unless he is pretty clear that it is going to be the right decision for himself.''

Like so many others, Lara believes the World Cup will be highly competitive, especially in light of the English climatic conditions which usually favour bowlers at this time of the year.

He believes each team has a chance, including minnows like Bangladesh, Scotland and Kenya, who stunned the globe with their amazing win against the West Indies in the last World Cup.

``The World Cup in May and June is going to offer all teams the chance of playing good cricket,'' Lara said.

``You get in there on a damp day against Bangladesh or any team and you can struggle.

``There is no one team that I'll pinpoint. What I'll hope is that we can play well as a team, assess the conditions as quickly as possible, play the role that each one has to play and take each opposition as the toughest one.''

West Indies, who have been placed in Group 2 with Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Scotland, open their campaign against Pakistan on May 16 in Bristol.

Ahead of their opening match, they will play three warm-up games, the first of which is scheduled for Saturday.