ST JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda — West Indies captain Darren Sammy and big-hitting opener Chris Gayle have been left out of the squad to face Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series which starts Friday. Sammy is rested after playing every match for the West Indies in the past two years with Dwayne Bravo taking over the captaincy. "Gayle has asked to miss the ODI Series and has been granted permission accordingly," said a West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) statement. No reason was given for Gayle's decision to skip the series. The West Indies endured a disappointing tour of Australia which ended last week. It lost all five one-dayers before clinching a morale-boosting 27-run win in a one-off T20 international in Brisbane in their last outing. Zimbabwe will play three ODIs against West Indies in Grenada on Feb. 22, 24 and 26. The tourists will also play two Twenty20 internationals as well as two Tests. Squad (for first two matches of three-day series): Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan. NZ calls up Southee, Rutherford New Zealand has brought paceman Tim Southee and batsman Hamish Rutherford into the squad for the second One-Day International against England Wednesday after injuries to seamer Mitchell McClenaghan and opener Martin Guptill. McClenaghan picked up four wickets in New Zealand's three-wicket victory in Hamilton Sunday, but suffered a side strain that has ruled him out for the rest of the three-match series. Guptill, who scored an unbeaten 27 while playing with a left hamstring strain to guide the host to victory, would be sidelined for at least the second match in Napier, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement Monday. Rutherford, 23, made his international debut in the Twenty20 series against England earlier this month, which New Zealand lost 2-1. The 24-year-old swing bowler Southee returns to the national fold after recovering from ligament damage to his left thumb. — Agencies
