WINDIES PLAYERS WILL BE UP TO CHALLENGE - DYSON

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Head coach of the West Indies cricket team, John Dyson, has described the upcoming Digicel Cricket Series 2008 as "hugely important" and added that his players will be up to the challenge" of facing Sri Lanka.

Speaking after arriving in Guyana, ahead of the first Digicel Test Match, Dyson noted that the series (two Tests and three One-Day Internationals), should present the players with opportunities to showcase their skills and play together as a unit.

"These two Tests and three ODIs will be hugely important for us and I know we will be up to it. The guys enjoy playing at home and will be eager to win. We had a great start in South Africa and even though the results ultimately did not go in our favour, we showed that we can be very competitive, and if conditions and fitness are right, we can win," Dyson said.

"I think our guys have the ability to show they can handle the challenges and do the job. What we have to do now and at all times, is to continue with the momentum, and actually improve on it, and prove we can do well against a quality attack. There is a lot of talent here in the Caribbean that can be nurtured to provide us with the back-up we need."

The head coach added that he believed the West Indies had a solid batting line-up and the bowlers were all showing signs of improvement. He also noted that he was pleased with the form the players showed in the recent Carib Beer Series First-Class matches.

"I think it is definitely possible for us to start becoming a more consistent team. We can't say we're going to move from Number eight to Number one in the next 12 months, but we can definitely be more competitive with the teams that are around us," Dyson said.

"Sri Lanka is a very good team, so there will be challenges for our batsmen and there are challenges for our bowlers. But that is what cricket at this level is all about."

The first Digicel Test Match bowls off on Saturday at the National Stadium, Providence.

SCHEDULE

March 17-19: Sri Lanka vs Guyana Cricket Board President's XI - National Stadium, Providence

March 22-26: 1st Digicel Test - National Stadium, Providence, Guyana

March 29-31 Sri Lanka vs West Indies "A" Team - Shaw Park, Tobago

April 3-7: 2nd Digicel Test - Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

April 10: 1st Digicel One-Day International - Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

April 12: 2nd Digicel One-Day International - Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad

April 15: 3rd Digicel One-Day International - Beausejour Stadium, St Lucia (day/night)