Dwayne Bravo has been cleared to play for West Indies in the first Test against Sri Lanka, starting on Saturday in Guyana. Bravo was sidelined with a discomfort in his back for the sixth round of matches in the West Indies first-class championship, when his native Trinidad and Tobago faced the Combined Campuses and Colleges. “I felt a little soreness in the lower back last week and missed the match to get some rest and allow for the stiffness to go away,” he said. “It has now gone and I am presently training at the Queen's Park Oval and also in the gym.” Bravo is looking forward to series, and noted it was important for West Indies to make a strong start to the series in Guyana. “Far too many times we are caught in a position where we are playing catch-up cricket,” he said. “We need to go out there be positive and give it our best shot in the opening match of the tournament. “Once we can perform to potential and get a win, then we would be in a very good position, since the series is a short one.” Bravo expects Sri Lanka to offer a stiff challenge, especially its off-spin bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan. “Sri Lanka is a very good team and they are coming here with the intention of winning,” he said. “We know it will be a challenging series, but personally I am up to it and will be giving off my best for the West Indies team. “We have to be positive against the likes of Muralitharan. We know it would be difficult, but we need to back ourselves and we can get the results we want.” Sri Lanka opens the tour with a three-day match against a West Indies Select XI, starting on Monday in Guyana. The first Test bowls off on March 22 at the National Stadium in Guyana, while the second will be from April 3 to 7 at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad. The first two ODIs will be on April 10 and 12 at Queen's Park Oval, and the third ODI will be a day/night affair at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia on April 15. __
