ONE month after the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, action in international cricket resumes this week, with One-Day International (ODI) cricket in focus.Dublin will host two ODIs between 1996 world champions Sri Lanka and the giant-killers of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Ireland, on May 6 and 8.
On May 9 in Aberdeen, three-time ICC Cricket World Cup finalists England will square-off against Scotland, who qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 by winning the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014, earlier this year in New Zealand.
With just nine months to go before the start of the event, which runs between February 14 and March 29, these three ODIs mean that the first phase of build-up for all sides has well and truly begun.
While England and Sri Lanka have more to lose, Ireland and Scotland have plenty to gain from their respective series.
Ireland currently sit in 11th place on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings with 34 ratings points, and trail third-ranked Sri Lanka by 78 ratings points. Because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, Ireland will gain points if they win even one match in the series.
Scotland, currently unranked, have an opportunity to inch closer to getting on to the main rankings table. However, to make that happen, they will have to beat England.
To get onto the main rankings table, Scotland need to either win two ODIs against Full Members, or achieve one win in an ODI against a Full Member and also win more than 60 per cent of ODIs against other Associates.
Meanwhile, fans in Dublin and Aberdeen will get to see some of the biggest names in action during the ODIs to be played there.
Among the stars in the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen likely to be seen in action are Eoin Morgan (15th) and Alastair Cook (20th).
Among the bowlers inside the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers likely to be seen in action are James Anderson (eighth) and Angelo Mathews (16th).
Sri Lanka captain Mathews also starts the series against Ireland as the number-two ranked all-rounder on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI All-rounders.

Forthcoming fixtures:
Ireland v Sri Lanka
May 6: First ODI, Dublin
May 8: Second ODI, Dublin
Scotland v England
May 9: One-off ODI, Aberdeen