Gary Ballance has been included in a 16-man Zimbabwe squad for a two-Test series against the West Indies.

Harare-born Ballance played 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for England during the last decade.

Under ICC rules a player can switch from one full member nation to another after a three-year stand-down period, which the 33-year-old has served.

Ballance was released by English county Yorkshire last year after admitting he used racist language against former teammate Azeem Rafiq, and signed a two-year contract with Zimbabwe.

Revelations by Rafiq, who was born in Pakistan, of institutional racism triggered wholesale changes at Yorkshire.

Ballance debuted for Zimbabwe this month in a T20I against Ireland in Harare, scoring 30, but missed the other two due to concussion.

He then made 23 and top-scored with 52 in two ODIs against the Irish before the series decider was washed out.

Star white-ball batter Sikandar Raza will miss the series, starting on Saturday in Bulawayo, as he is playing franchise cricket in the UAE.

Ryan Burl, potentially highly effective both with bat and ball, also misses out as he is fulfilling franchise commitments in Bangladesh.

A fractured finger sidelines regular Test captain and all-rounder Sean Williams so white-ball skipper Craig Ervine stands in.

Pacemen Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani will be absent due to thigh injuries as Zimbabwe seek a first Test win over the West Indies after three draws and seven losses.

Zimbabwe squad: Gary Ballance, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tanaka Chivanga, Craig Ervine (c), Brad Evans, Joylord Gumbie, Innocent Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Wellington Masakadza, Kudzai Maunze, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano, Tafadzwa Tsiga.

© Agence France-Presse