Ireland and Pakistan will be playing a tourney-defining match at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday as well.
The boys from the Caribbean lit up the World Cup for all the wrong reasons in their opener, failing to defend a handsome total of 304 against minnows Ireland in Nelson on February 16.
That triggered a somewhat yo-yo campaign that saw them thrash Pakistan by 150 runs at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on February 21 and blow away Zimbabwe three days later in Canberra before haemorraghing 405 runs in a loss to South Africa in Sydney on February 27.
Pundits may well label that inconsistency, something Williams attests to, but the more pragmatic types will impress that is the very reason why the Windies can be so dangerous in this tournament, provided they don't slip on that proverbial banana skin on Sunday.
"Right now we don't have a choice. We can only finish fourth [in pool B]," Williams said. "So once we qualify, nobody will want to play the West Indies.
"On our day we will beat anyone in this tournament and our men will be ready for that."
Gayle, who has wowed McLean Park crowds, didn't join the net session yesterday.
"We'd love him to play all the games [but] we'll just have to manage him better."
The loss to Ireland had elevated the status of their game against UAE.
" ... we knew that we have to win this game."
He lamented the Windies' fluctuation in amassing totals.
"Sometimes it's up and sometimes it's down so we've just got to get the balance right, whether it's batting, bowling or fielding."
While New Zealand venues were small and favoured batsmen, Williams didn't think the tourney projected a twenty20 aura.
"At the end of the day it's a 50-over tournament and we're not looking at it any other way."
It was imperative his bowlers found their line and length. "We just have to get our total 'A' game for Sunday."
Jerome Taylor's progress, after a lengthy layoff (three to four years) with injury, had impressed the coach since his slow start in South Africa.
"I think he's been leading from the front and doing a good job for us with 11 wickets and getting better by the day."
He put allrounder Kemar Roach in a similar mould, as one of their best test exponents with the ball and coming off an injury but proving his worth against India in taking Ajinke Rahane's scalp for 14 runs.
"So we're looking to him to keep it up there against UAE."
Williams felt the Windies were a settled unit with a blend of fast bowlers and spinners as well as "excellent batters".
Former international seamer Curtly Ambrose is a consultant, ensuring the bowlers are making incremental gains towards the business end.
Williams praised New Zealand and Australian wickets. "The only difference is that the grounds here are much smaller than Australia."
Asked if that suited them, Williams said: "Well, we love to smile but if we smile too often we'll get into trouble so we've just come to play cricket. If it's a big ground it doesn't matter."
