Sports

Tendulkar, Zaheer rested for WI tour

Tendulkar, Zaheer rested for WI tour

By Agence France Presse

NEW DELHI: India’s cricket selectors today rested key players Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan for the limited-overs tour of West Indies starting later this month. Tendulkar is recovering from a finger injury that he aggravated during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa last month. Bowling spearhead Zaheer was rested as he was suffering from a shoulder injury. Left-handed batsman Suresh Raina was also not considered for selection after he sustained a hairline fracture on his thumb. Left-arm quick Ashish Nehra returned to the squad after four years on the sidelines. All-rounder Abhishek Nayar earned his maiden call-up to the Indian squad while opener Murali Vijay also made a comeback in the absence of the injured Virender Sehwag. Sehwag missed the World Twenty20 in England with a shoulder injury. India, who won the inaugural T20 Worlds in South Africa two years ago, crashed out of the World Twenty20 after losing all three Super Eight matches against the West Indies, England and South Africa. The Indians have been on the road since February, sparking fears of player burnout and a growing list of injured players. India play four ODIs — first two in Jamaica (June 26 and 28) and two more in St Lucia (July 3 and 5)