EVERY World Cup has a story, and the pre-eminent tale in the Caribbean over the next six weeks will be of a fallen giant attempting to return to happier times.

Forget about Australia and their five consecutive defeats this winter, though. When it comes to sullying a glowing reputation, nobody does decline quite like the West Indies. And when it comes to safeguarding the future of cricket in one of the sport's strongholds, nothing has carried quite as much importance as the forthcoming festival in eight disparate island groups, previously united by their love of the game.

Less than two decades ago, the thought of a crisis in West Indian cricket would have been laughable. Names like Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose conjure up images of an era when the Caribbean's finest terrorised batsmen the world over, often saving their best performances for England on a summer's afternoon.

A West Indian World Cup then would have been a spirit-sapping experience. Having won the first two tournaments in 1975 and 1979, who would have relished watching Richards' men bully the rest of the world into submission in their own backyard?

Today, however, cricket has become a triviality in places like Trinidad & Tobago rather than a way of life, and as journalist and broadcaster Darcus Howe bemoaned: "No young person today wants to play cricket - they would rather have a gun."

If youngsters in the West Indies are picking up a piece of sports equipment, it is probably a basketball or a football. The transformation of Caribbean culture continues apace, and as the region's cricketing foundations have become eroded, so the fortunes of the West Indian national side have plummeted.

The Test side, who have slumped to eighth in the ICC world rankings, lost to India in their most recent home series, while the one-day outfit are ranked seventh.

It's now 24 years since the West Indies last appeared in a World Cup final, and the current side stand accused of putting the trappings of the international game ahead of a desire to live up to the achievements of the past.

In many ways, therefore, this month's tournament resembles a last-chance saloon. If they progress to the semi-finals, the spirit of calypso cricket will be alive once again. Crash out early, and the current West Indian side might be the last to command the undivided interest of the islanders.

Despite the side's recent struggles, there are reasons to anticipate the former.

Chris Gayle, the leading run-scorer in last autumn's Champions Trophy, is arguably the most explosive opener in world cricket, while Brian Lara, preparing to celebrate his 38th birthday just four days after the final, is looking for the perfect denouement to a quite incredible career.

He could get it in Barbados on April 28 - six weeks, by the way, is much too long for a tournament that effectively comprises eight major nations - although odds of 8-1 suggest the bookmakers feel there are far better alternatives available.

England start the tournament at the same price, reflecting both their dreadful run of form prior to the Commonwealth Bank Series and the sudden upsurge that led to them claiming the trophy.

Michael Vaughan's side have travelled to the Caribbean full of confidence following their Antipodean exploits and, in Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, they boast two genuine match-winners.

With the West Indian grounds among the smallest in the world, most pundits are predicting an avalanche of runs.

Scores of 500 seem unlikely, but there is no doubt that heavy hitters like Flintoff and Pietersen will be worth their weight in gold.

Quite where the nuts and bolts approach of Paul Collingwood fits into the equation remains to be seen, although the Durham all-rounder's fielding will surely be one of the highlights of the competition.

Speaking of highlights, what about Australia losing to Scotland in their very first game? Well, we all like to dream, but it's not going to happen.

Far more likely is the prospect of the reigning world champions claiming a third World Cup trophy in a row.

Their bowling attack fell to pieces as they lost five in a row to England and New Zealand, but with Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds back in the fold, their batting line-up should be as brutal as ever.

For once, New Zealand do not start the tournament as dark horses following their thrilling performances in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Four big-hitting all-rounders - Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, James Franklin and Jacob Oram - add beef to the batting.

But the Black Ferns cannot keep chasing 350-plus targets forever and their bowling will have to improve if they are to make the last four.

The same can be said of Pakistan after both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were ruled out.

The usual cliches apply to Bob Woolmer's squad - mercurial, flamboyant, erratic - but it would be no surprise if the consistent Mohammad Yousuf finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer.

India have plenty of contenders for that crown, although the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly are all approaching 35.

Sri Lanka, with Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan to the fore, are also hoping their golden generation are able to produce one last hurrah.

South Africa will be looking to banish all thoughts of the past, having gone out of the tournament on a tie in both 1999 and 2003, but their recent traumas are nothing compared to those of the West Indies.

When it comes to opening a new cricketing chapter, the only story in town belongs to the hosts.