Sourav Ganguly. — Photo: K.R. Deepak

TRELAWNY (Jamaica): Sourav Ganguly is advising the India squad that when in the Caribbean, the best policy is to do what the locals do.

The former India skipper thinks his teammates should try and relax a little and not let the long wait between arriving in the West Indies and competition frustrate their World Cup campaign.

India's first group match is against Bangladesh on March 17, more than two weeks after its arrival in the West Indies.

All the teams will gather at the Trelawny Stadium for an opening ceremony on Sunday that will highlight Caribbean life and culture.

Ganguly, who led India to the World Cup final in 2003, said the extra time to prepare was a bonus.

``The wait's a pretty long one, but it gives time to prepare well and strike rhythm,'' said Ganguly, conceding that acclimatisation was not a problem as "conditions were similar to those back home."

Test for the team

Ganguly, 34, said the test was for the team to keep its focus and train for the task ahead.

``We shouldn't worry much about things that are not in our control, such as injuries, time or weather,'' Ganguly told reporters.

``The practice matches would not just help the team find rhythm, but also test out a few players," said Ganguly.

"Practice games are a good workout, they're different than training at the nets," said Ganguly.

"All sorts of things combine in helping players and teams to strike momentum," he said.

Ganguly displayed his form during the recent home limited-overs series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, marking his return to India's one-day squad with a string of impressive knocks.

``I feel good coming into the World Cup with runs behind me,'' said Ganguly, who lost his captaincy in 2005 and was axed from the one-day squad following a spat with coach Greg Chappell.

Ganguly intermittently featured in the Test squad, but his World Cup dream seemed over in 2006 when he was left out of the national team.

He is now gearing up for a third World Cup tournament, starting in a group that includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bermuda.

The top two teams in each of the four preliminary groups will advance to the Super Eight phase. — AP

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