BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Coach Andre Coley has praised the quality of the West Indies Under-19 side and has backed them to perform well at the upcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

“Overall we have a very a good all-round team. We have players with the ability to perform at this level and win matches,” Coley said prior to the team departure for the tournament on Thursday.

“The main strength of this side, however, is the team unity and self-belief. The players play for each other and they are a mentally strong group of young men. I am satisfied with mental approach – the way they approach the game and the way they approach pressure situations.

“At the moment the players are thinking about their contribution to the team and the overall team goals. We have a positive vibe in the camp.”

West Indies will contest Group D of the tournament where they will clash with defending champions Pakistan in the curtain-raiser, before facing Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea in their remaining preliminary round matches.

The regional side was good enough to reach the final of the tournament six years ago and Coley said going all the way this time around would be an excellent outcome.

“The West Indies have never won at this level before, we were runners-up before in Bangladesh in 2004, so winning the World Cup would be huge,” Coley pointed out.

“There is a lot of buzz in the West Indies now following the performances of the senior team in Australia before Christmas and a tournament win by the Under-19s would be fantastic. It would be good a return for the boys for the hard work they have put in.”

West Indies are scheduled to arrive in Auckland on Saturday and will play practice matches against the Northern Districts “A” team before also playing official warm-up matches against Australia on January 11 and Ireland on January 12.

They face Pakistan in the tournament opener in Palmerston North three days later.