17 June,2009 05:28 PM IST | | PTI
Pacer Ashish Nehra on Wednesday returned to the national fold after four years while young all-rounder Abhishek Nayar was the lone new face in India's 16-man squad for the ODI tour of the West Indies for which key players Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan were rested.
The 30-year-old Nehra, who last played a one-day international in September 2005, was rewarded for his fine show in the recent IPL with a berth in the squad which has no place for Irfan Pathan and an injured Suresh Raina.
Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay and middle order batsman S Badrinath were recalled in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan through a press release. Srinivasan said Raina was not considered for selection as he sustained a hairline fracture on his thumb and has been advised two weeks' rest.
Zaheer has been rested while Tendulkar had made a request that he be rested for the tour beginning June 26. The 25-year-old Mumbai all-rounder Nayar was also rewarded for his consistent performance in domestic cricket and the recent IPL by being named in the squad to be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Yuvraj Singh as his deputy. Virender Sehwag, who pulled out of the Twenty20 World Cup because of a shoulder injury, was also not considered for selection.
