RAVI RAMPAUL, one of the West Indies' bright young fast bowling hopes before injury put him out of the game for the past two years, makes his return to international cricket in the 'A' team series against Sri Lanka, starting at Guaracara Park, Trinidad, today.

Rampaul was included in the squad of 13 for the two four-day matches, announced yesterday. But there was no place for an authentic spinner, leaving Barbados' off-spinner Ryan Austin as one of four players omitted from the originally chosen 17.

Wavell Hinds, the 30-year-old opening batsman who has played 45 Tests and 114 ODIs without being able to hold his place, and Travis Dowlin, the 29-year-old middle-order right-hander with an average of 28 and only three hundreds in 50 first-class matches, are two of the less obvious choices in a series presumably aimed at developing players for the senior West Indies team.

Rampaul impressed with his pace and penetration in West Indies Under-15 and Under-19 teams, made his first-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago at 17 and his ODI debut at 19 on the tour of Zimbabwe in 2003.

He played the last of his 17 ODIs on the tour of England in 2004 when shin splints forced his lengthy layoff. Fit again, he had a stint at the Australian Centre of Excellence in Brisbane earlier this year.

The second four-day match, at Warner Park, St Kitts, December 1 to 4 will be followed by representative One-Day matches.

West Indies 'A' (from): Sylvester Joseph (captain), Patrick Browne, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds,

Richard Kelly, Ravi Rampaul, Andrew Richardson, Darren Sammy, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge. Coach: David Williams. Manager: Clyde Butts.

Sri Lanka 'A' (from): Tilan Samaraweera (captain), Ishara Amarasinghe, Russell Arnold, Malinga Bandara, Avishka Gunawardene, Nuwan Kulasekera, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevan Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ruchira Perera, Kaushal Silva, Mahela Udawatte, Malintha Warnapura, Sajeewa Weerakoon, Gayan Wijekoon. (TC)