After a painstaking, rain-drenched Test series that ended 0-0, Sri Lanka and West Indies will now lock horns in the five match ODI series that starts from Thursday.

With the World Cup scheduled to take place in the sub-continent early next year, the series is of prime importance for both the teams. However, weather could be a major hindrance to the series as it has been raining all through the Lankan Island. Sri Lanka are currently placed third in the ICC ODI rankings while the Windies are placed eighth. Sri Lanka will only be hoping that they do not lose on the rating points due to the weather.

Kumar Sangakkara will lead the Sri Lankan team in the series that has not many surprises in its composition. Muttaih Muralitharan has been rested for the first two matches of the series and Rangana Herath has been roped as the replacement. Herath has earned his place on back of his impressive returns in the Test series. Lasith Malinga will lead the pace attack along with Nuwan Kulasekara, Dihara Fernando and Thisara Perera.

However, Dinesh Chandimal and Dammika Prasad who were a part of the team that won Down Under, were axed from the team.
West Indies have named Darren Sammy to lead the side and no vice captain has been named for this series. Carlton Baugh has been named as the wicket-keeper ahead of Denesh Ramdin. Adrian Barath also finds a place in the 15-member squad. However, the selector's have omitted the experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was not in Test squad as well. Uncapped Barbados batsman Kirk Edwards and fast bowler Andre Russell have also found a place in the squad. As expected, ODI specialists Kieron Pollard, Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul are also included in what seems to be a well balanced ODI side. This is the last ODI series that the Windies will be playing before the start of the ICC World Cup in February and the Windies will now have an opportunity to put all the players in their repertoire to test.

The first of the five match series begins on 9th December 2010, at the newly built Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium in Hambanthota. Hambanthota will host the first two matches while the renovated R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the remaining three matches and the only T20 fixture of the tour. Interestingly all the matches are day/night matches and the fans will be waiting to see some live action after all that wet scenes over the past few weeks.

Tag :- Kieron Pollard   Muttaih Muralitharan   Ramnaresh Sarwan   Sri Lanka   West Indies