Gayle rested from Zimbabwe Twenty20

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has been rested from the 13-man squad for the only Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe in Trinidad on February 28. Denesh Ramdin has been named captain for the match and a West Indies board media release said that Gayle was "expected to be available" for the five-match one-day series that follows.

"Chris Gayle went to Australia, and while there, his mother was ill, and he had to come back," WICB chief Ernest Hilaire said. "We thought, in discussion with him, that he should probably go home for a few days to see his mother, to be with her, then join the team in Guyana."

West Indies have been boosted by the return of four players who were injured for the recent ODI series in Australia, which they lost 0-4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has recovered from the thumb injury he sustained during the Test leg of the Australia tour, Sulieman Benn's knee has healed and so has Adrian Barath's hamstring. Darren Bravo, who suffered a shoulder injury during the Champions League Twenty20 in India last November, has also returned to the squad but his brother, Dwayne, is still out after breaking his thumb while playing for Victoria during the Big Bash.

Chanderpaul, who last featured in the Adelaide Test in December, is happy with his recovery from the injury that laid him low. "I am feeling okay. It just needs to be tested at the higher level and see where we are," he said.

Apart from the four injured players returning to the mix, allrounder Dave Bernard jnr and opener Andre Fletcher have also been recalled. They were part of West Indies' Champions Trophy squad in September 2009 but missed the trip to Australia.

Zimbabwe's tour begins with a 50-over practice match against a University of the West Indies' Vice-Chancellor's XI at the Frank Worrell Oval in Trinidad on Friday before the Twenty20 on Sunday.

Squad: Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith.