Injured Southee to miss Zimbabwe Test

New Zealand paceman Tim Southee will miss the one-off Test against Zimbabwe after failing to recover from a knee injury suffered while preparing for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

Southee was already omitted from the squad for the two Twenty20 and three One-day internationals in Zimbabwe after suffering cartilage damage to his left knee but was named in the squad for the Bulawayo Test.

"The latest scans show that the knee... has improved but the injury has not completely gone away," New Zealand national selector manager Kim Littlejohn was quoted as saying in a statement on Friday.

"We are taking a long-term view with Tim's injury and have opted to extend his recovery period rather than rush him back too soon.

"He is expected to be fully fit an available for December's Test series against Australia."

Uncapped paceman Graeme Alridge, who is already in the squad for the limited-overs matches, will remain with the side for the Test starting on Nov. 1.

The Black Caps will be playing their first series since losing in the World Cup semi-finals in March and under new captain Ross Taylor, who replaced Daniel Vettori.