ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Just weeks after being dumped as vice-captain for the one-day series in Australia, Denesh Ramdin has been named to lead West Indies in the one-off Twenty20 International against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

A West Indies Cricket Board release said regular captain Chris Gayle had been rested for the game but was expected to be available for the five-match One-Day International series which bowls off in Guyana next Thursday.

The 24-year-old Ramdin has been viewed as a future West Indies captain and was first appointed vice-captain on the tour of New Zealand in late 2008 when Ramnaresh Sarwan quit the post.

However, Ramdin was relieved of the position prior to the just concluded one-day series against Australia, with fellow Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo getting the nod from selectors.
Ramdin led West Indies twice in T20Is last year, against England in the Caribbean and versus Sri Lanka during the World T20 championship in England.

Ramdin will lead a 13-man squad in the match carded for the Queen’s Park Oval and which signals the start of the Zimbabwe one-day tour.

The squad sees the return of the experienced left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul, youth batting sensations Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo, and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn all of whom have recovered from injury.

All-rounder David Bernard Jr, overlooked for the trip Down Under, has gotten a call-up.

SQUAD – Denesh Ramdin (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith.