Parchment earns call-up

Jamaican opening batsman Brenton Parchment is the sole newcomer in a 15-member squad chosen by the West Indies selectors, only for the tour of Zimbabwe which starts at month-end.

Though averaging below 30 since making his first-class debut during the 1999-2000 domestic season, Parchment's batting has shown signs of maturity over the past two seasons and culminated with scores of 111 and 168 in his last first-class game in the Carib Beer series back in February at the Alpart Sports Club in his homeland. The 25-year-old right-hand batsman made 154 runs at just under 39.00 with one half-century to help Jamaica win the recent KFC Cup regional one-day competition.

Making a return to the team is Guyanese batsman Narsingh Deonarine. Though selected for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September, the 24-year-old has not featured for the West Indies since his debut in 2005 when he played four Tests and four ODIs in the Caribbean and on tour in Sri Lanka.

Veteran Grenadian legspinner Rawle Lewis has again found favour with the selectors. Since making his Test and ODI debut in 1997, the 33-year-old has played a mere four Tests, taking a solitary wicket, and 20 ODIs, gaining 14 wickets and 172 runs. His last ODI was on the 2006 tour of New Zealand. Lewis has remained a consistent performer at the regional level and his leadership capabilities are expected to be invaluable on tour.

Two noticeable absentees from the squad are Barbados' captain Corey Collymore and allrounder Dwayne Smith. Collymore, though considered a miserly bowler in the shortened version of the game, hardly bowled a ball during the recent KFC Cup tournament and his omission has not come as a total surprise.

Smith has huffed and puffed without blowing much down for the better part of three years, since his promising debut on the African continent in 2004. Considered an ODI specialist, he now pays the price for a record that reads 71 matches and a mere 791 runs at an abysmal average of 14.92. His improved bowling and brilliant fielding that compensated for his exasperating batting failures, and seemingly kept him in the side, were apparently unable to do so this time around.

Though originally believed to be unavailable for the tour because of injury, Jamaican batsman Marlon Samuels has retained his place in the side after joining the squad at the training camp in Barbados last week. There was no word yesterday from the WICB about his fitness.

Barbados' Henderson Springer and Trinidad and Tobago's David Williams will serve as the coaches on the tour.

West Indies' opening match is on November 30 at Harare Sports Club and they will play the second ODI two days later at the same venue. They play the final games at the Queen's Sports Club in Bulawayo on December 5, 9 and 17, respectively. They then go to South Africa for three Tests and five ODIs but changes to the team could be made.

Squad for Zimbabwe one-dayers Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Runako Morton, Rawl Lewis, Brenton Parchment, Darren Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor