April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), April 8: The West Indies and Sri Lanka will take contrasting strategies into Thursday’s one-day international that initiates a three-match series at Queen’s Park Oval.

The home team has retained all of its players from the two-match test series that ended 1-1 on Sunday. But the Sri Lankans have sent seven of their Test squad home, replacing them with a number of new faces to boost their challenge.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, a week short of his 36th birthday, will not appear as the visitors try to prolong the career of its world record holder.

Malinda Warnapura and Thilan Samaraweera, both of whom scored centuries during the Test series, also make way for others.

Among the seven new Sri Lankans are batsmen Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Kapugedera and Mahela Udawatte. The uncapped Udawatte is a 21-year-old that many compare to Sanath Jayasuriya, another veteran who has missed out on this series.

“Cricket is going to go on. Players will come and go. We just need to make sure we have the right combinations going,” Jayawardene said.

The spin void left by Muralitharan should be filled by leg-spinner Malinga Bandara and newcomer Ajantha Mendis, an off-spinner who has had success at the domestic level.

Squads: West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Sulieman Benn, Patrick Browne, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Fidel Edwards, Runako Morton, Keiron Pollard, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ishara Amerasinghe, Mahela Udawatte, Thilan Thushara.—AP