West Indies have suffered a blow ahead of their five-match one-day series against Australia as all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out due to a thumb injury.
Bravo, who will also miss both Twenty20 internationals against the Aussies, has failed to recover sufficiently from the injury which he sustained when he was hit on the hand while batting for Victoria against Tasmania in the Big Bash competition on January 15.
The 26-year-old has been replaced in the Windies squad by Wavell Hinds.
However, the West Indies expect Bravo to be fit well before the start of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in April and should return to the senior line-up in time for Zimbabwe's tour of the Windies later this month.
Bravo has hit 1,511 runs in ODIs, including one century and four fifties, at an average of 23.98 and has taken 114 wickets at 29.66.
In T20Is, Bravo has 236 runs and two half-centuries to his credit at 26.22 and has taken 14 wickets at 24.35, with best figures of four for 38 against India at Lord's last June.
