28 May,2011 07:02 AM IST | | AFP
Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar opted out of the three-Test series in the West Indies starting next month, it was announced yesterday.
Tendulkar was earlier rested for the five one-dayers in the Caribbean."Tendulkar requested that he be allowed to spend time with his family. He will therefore not play the Test series," Indian cricket board secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.
"However, he will be available for the full tour of England that follows." Injured opener Gautam Gambhir and unfit all-rounder Yuvraj Singh were ruled out of the West Indies tour. "Gambhir will be unavailable for the full tour of the West Indies on account of his shoulder injury," said Srinivasan.
"Yuvraj will also be unavailable for the full tour. He is suffering from an upper respiratory infection, with a small patch of pneumonitis in the left lung."
Suresh Raina will lead the one-day side in the absence of Gambhir. Batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Manoj Tiwary have been named as replacements for Gambhir and Yuvraj for the one-day series and single Twenty20 against the Windies. India open the tour with the Twenty20 game in Trinidad on June 4.
