Wavell Hinds replaces injured Bravo

West Indies have suffered another injury blow with confirmation the allrounder Dwayne Bravo will miss all the engagements against Australia this month. Bravo broke his right thumb while playing for Victoria in Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition and will return to Trinidad in a bid to be fit for the series against Zimbabwe starting in the Caribbean on February 28.

Wavell Hinds, the batting allrounder, will replace Bravo for the matches that begin in Melbourne on Sunday. It will be the first major opportunity for Hinds, who has appeared in 45 Tests and 114 ODIs, since he faced Australia in the Champions Trophy in 2006.

West Indies, who began the trip with a warm-up in Canberra on Thursday, are due to play five ODIs and two Twenty20s over the next three weeks. The side is already without Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Sulieman Benn from the unit that challenged Australia during the three Tests last November and December.

Bravo's withdrawal places increased pressure on the captain Chris Gayle, who scored a century in the warm-up, and the allrounder Kieron Pollard.