Regional side makes quiet return home

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A disappointed West Indies made a quiet return to the Caribbean on Monday evening, following an anti-climatic end to the rain-ravaged tour of Sri Lanka.

They touched down at the Grantley Adams International Airport here in late afternoon, after flying from Colombo to Dubai and then on to London. Several players flew directly from London to their respective countries.

West Indies were frustrated by rain throughout the tour with the adverse weather forcing a nil-all stalemate in the three-Test series and then also forcing the postponement of the five-match One-Day International series.

Despite the drawn series, the fact West Indies avoided defeat saw them overhaul New Zealand in the ICC Test rankings to move to seventh, just three ratings points behind the sixth placed Pakistan who they play next year.

Most of the Windies players will now represent their respective territories in the January 10-23 Caribbean Twenty20 Championship before regrouping for the ODI series against Sri Lanka, expected to be played late next month.

From there, they will head straight for the Cricket World Cup which will be played from February 19 to April 2 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.