Cricket: Windies suffer defections on eve of T20 series

West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard. Photo / AP

The disastrous West Indies tour of New Zealand took a further hit today with one of their high-profile limited-overs internationals withdrawing a day before the T20 series begins in Nelson.

Big allrounder Kieron Pollard has pulled out due to personal reasons, and seamer Ronsford Beaton has been forced home with a side strain, but he also has an illegal bowling action charge against him.

The T20 is the version of the game best suited to the West Indies at present, and Pollard was to be a big part of their plans.

Promising lefthand batsman Shimron Hetmyer, originally selected for just the test leg of the tour, will now be part of all three segments, called in for Pollard in what could never be termed a like for like swap.

Left arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell replaces Beaton. Cottrell has impressed in the ODI series with plenty of energy and has taken wickets too.

The series starts at Saxton Oval tomorrow and ends with two matches at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui on New Year's Day and January 3.

The revised West Indies T20 squad is: Carlos Brathwaite (c), Chris Gayle, Chadwick Walton, Shai Hope, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Mohammed, Rayad Emrit, Rovman Powell, Ashley Nurse, Kesrick Williams, Samuel Badree, Sheldon Cotterell, Jerome Taylor.