West Indies, already without captain Brian Lara and six other leading players, were further depleted when Jerome Taylor was declared unfit for the first Test against South Africa in Guyana starting next Thursday.
Medium-pace bowler Taylor has a stiff back and has been advised to rest for four to six weeks, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said in a statement.
Lara was left out of the squad by the board following a contract dispute.
Skipper
Lara, vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul have personal sponsorship deals with Cable and Wireless, meaning a potential clash with West Indies' main sponsor Digicel.
Digicel's five-year agreement is worth about $20 million and is the biggest in West Indies history.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul will lead the team in the first Test in Lara's absence.