After West Indian players abruptly pulled out of their tour of India on Friday over pay disputes with the West Indies Cricket Board, Sri Lanka accepted India’s invitation to play a five-match series from November 1.
BCCI had reacted with shock and disappointment after the Dwayne Bravo-led team decided not to continue the tour after the fourth ODI under way in Dharamsala. West Indies were scheduled to play five ODIs, a one-off T20 and three Test matches.
Sri Lanka Cricket chief Nishantha Ranatunga confirmed that the 1996 world champions have ‘in principle’ accepted India’s invitation to play the series.
The Lankans had last played in India in 2009-10, when the hosts won a three-Test series 2-1. The two-match T201 series was drawn 1-1 and India won the ODI series 3-1. The last match in Delhi was abandoned after the pitch was deemed unfit to play, thanks to dangerous bounce.
Sri Lanka and India have played 144 ODIs against each other since 1979.
