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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- Fast bowler Kemar Roach will miss the Test series on the West Indies tour of Bangladesh due to a knee injury.

West Indies team physiotherapist C.J. Clark described the injury as “a right medial hamstring tendon tear”, which Roach sustained in a club match three weeks ago in his native Barbados.

“Kemar has not recovered adequately from the injury to join the squad for the tour,” said Clark. “He has commenced rehabilitation and will undergo further assessment. He is expected to return to action in three to four weeks time.”

Fidel Edwards, who has taken 158 wickets at 38.37 runs apiece in 54 Tests since his debut nine years ago, has been selected to replace Roach. He is scheduled to leave the Caribbean with the remainder of the 15-member squad on Saturday.

Roach has been West Indies’ most successful bowler in Tests this year, snaring 39 wickets at 22.25 runs apiece in seven Tests.

He is tied with three other players as the second-most successful bowler in Tests this year, along with South African fast-medium bowler Vernon Philander, as well as off-spinners Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan and Graeme Swann of England.

Only England fast bowler Stuart Broad with 40 at 27.77 in nine Tests has more wickets than the above quartet.

“It’s a blow for us,” said West Indies coach Ottis Gibson. “He’s been an outstanding Test bowler for us in the last 12 months. He’s got a lot of wickets for us.

“The news is not all bad. It’s not a major, major injury. It just means that he cannot travel with us. He has started his rehab already, so hopefully, he can recover within the next three weeks and, perhaps, make the One-day series, which means he will get some cricket before the end of the year.

“It’s a difficult situation. He reckons he feels OK sometimes, and other times, if he gets his knee in the wrong position, he feels it, and the pain is so severe, he can’t do anything for a while. These things happen in sport.”

West Indies face Bangladesh in two Tests from November 13 to 17 at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in that country’s capital of Dhaka, and from November 21 to 25 at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in the south-western city of Khulna.

The Tests will be followed by five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 Internationals.

Gibson said Edwards was more than capable cover for Roach and felt there was more than enough firepower in the 15-member squad.

“Fidel was a member of the squad that played in the recent ICC World Twenty20 Tournament and he has been bowling [in club cricket in his native Barbados], so his bowling fitness will be right up there at its peak,” said Gibson.

“Along with Ravi Rampaul and Tino Best, we feel confident that they will all be able to do a good job for us in the Tests, whichever combination is selected.”

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