West Indies set for 44-day tour of Sri Lanka

West Indies embark on a 44-day tour of Sri Lanka, which includes two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is in October and November, an SLC press release said.

The first Test begins in Galle on October 14, where West Indies have played only two matches in 2001 and 2010. They will only have three days to acclimatise to the venue.

The SLC interim committee had earlier said that the board was trying to reduce the costs it will incur by hosting games in Galle, as well as at other venues for the tour. That could be the reason West Indies will spend much of their time ahead of the first Test in Colombo - seven days of training at the Sinhalese Sports Club, followed by a three-day game at the venue.

Following the Galle Test, West Indies return to Colombo for the second Test at P Sara Oval, where they have never played red-ball cricket before. Three days' practice at the venue will lead them into the match starting on October 22.

West Indies have never won a Test series in Sri Lanka. They drew with the hosts in 1993 and 2010, and lost in 2001 and 2005.

The ODIs start in November and will be day-night affairs. The first two ODIs will be held at the R Premadasa stadium on November 1 and November 4. Pallekele will host the final ODI on November 7 and the teams will stay back for the first T20 two days later. The final T20 will take the teams back to Premadasa on November 12.

These T20s are the only confirmed matches that West Indies play before the World T20 in India in March 2016. Sri Lanka have two more on their docket when they visit New Zealand in December 2015-January 2016.