Legends rally round WI

The West Indies received heavyweight support Thursday ahead of their World Cup quarterfinal against New Zealand with former greats Brian Lara and Andy Roberts both tipping an upset.

Home side New Zealand, unbeaten through pool play, are heavily favoured to win Saturday's knock-out match in Wellington and go on to play South Africa in the semifinals.

But Lara said he was "patriotic and optimistic" the West Indies "have the armoury and the personnel" to win.

"Obviously, the West Indies are going into that match as underdogs but I believe there's a chink in the armour of the New Zealanders," he told Indian broadcaster NDTV, noting New Zealand fell apart in the play-offs last time they co-hosted a World Cup in 1992.

But Lara wants a shake-up in the West Indies line up with Johnson Charles, who scored 55 when called up as a late replacement for the United Arab Emirates game, to replace Dwayne Smith as Chris Gayle's opening partner.

Former fast bowler Andy Roberts also believes New Zealand can be toppled if the West Indies set aside the significance of the occasion.

"Don't get too intense because when you get too intense you shrivel up and you know we are famous for that because sometimes we have victory in sight but end up losing," Roberts told the Daily Observer in Antigua.