Just over 42 per cent of the 500 persons interviewed between November 5 and 6 said that the West Indies' chances of winning the test series were good, even if Lara and Hooper were excluded from the touring party.

Regarding specifically the test, the poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 per cent, found that 12.9 per cent rate the chances as being very good and 29.6 per cent said good for a combined positive rating of 42.5 per cent who said that the West Indies could beat South Africa without Lara and Hooper.

Thirty per cent felt that the chances of beating South Africa without Lara and Hooper were slim, while another 26 per cent are somewhat ambivalent, rating those chances as average.

Meantime, close to 45 per cent of those polled supported an earlier decision to sack Lara and Hooper as captain and vice-captain respectively.

``The principal reason for supporting the board's decision is that the players involved are indisciplined, with 84 per cent saying so, while six per cent say the captain is not a leader and another five per cent indicating that they should have waited until after the tour to raise the issues,'' Mr. Anderson said.

The poll showed that 42.7 per cent was against the decision to sack the two.

Question: The West Indies Cricket board has suspended Captain Brian Lara and Vice-Captain Carl Hooper and withdrawn them from the team to tour South Africa. Do you oppose or support this decision?

Opposed to the decision 42.6%
Support the decision 44.9%
Not aware of it 9.7%
Not sure 2.8%