Sammy ready for Sri Lanka challenge

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has said his team is prepared to face the challenges posed by Sri Lanka ahead of the first Test at Galle starting on Monday.

"Sri Lanka is a place where lots of runs have been scored. If you look at the last few series played here, the batsmen have scored the runs. It looks like a very good wicket. In Sri Lanka the ball also spins so we have to take that into account and plan accordingly," said Sammy who will be making his debut as West Indies Test captain.

He was disappointed that West Indies were denied much-needed practice out of the three-day game which was washed out by bad weather after the first day, but added, "We put in some good work coming from Barbados and even the opportunities we have got here to practice our guys have worked hard. We are ready to go out there and face the challenges Sri Lankans pose."

Sammy felt the presence of Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only two members of his team to have played Tests in Sri Lanka, gave his side important experience. "They have played here before and we are sharing information and getting as much information as possible to compete well in this series.

"We want to play according to our strength. The management and coaching staff will meet and we'll select the best team to pose a challenge to Sri Lanka," Sammy said. "I am not predicting anything, our guys are confident and they know the task ahead.

"It's not easy to beat Sri Lanka here. Not only West Indies but most teams find it. We are confident that if we put in hard work we can be consistent in our performance. Like you saw Sri Lanka just won in Australia and they've never won in Australia. It's a motivation for our guys to come up with some consistent performances."

Sammy said that it was a massive honour for him to captain West Indies. "West Indies cricket carries a great history and a legacy. To lead any West Indies team is exciting. I know the players and they have prepared mentally and physically to take up the challenge. We are quite excited and looking forward for tomorrow."