But their decision came too late to enable them to be selected in the first Test against South Africa, which started in Georgetown on Thursday.

"Sarwan and Gayle have cancelled their contracts with Cable and Wireless (C&W), which means they will be eligible for selection again," the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, Roger Brathwaite, told Reuters.

The players made their decision less than 12 hours before the first ball was scheduled to be bowled in the first Test.

"They will not play in the match, we will pick the team from the current squad," Brathwaite said.

Sarwan and Gayle were part of a group of seven players, including regular West Indies captain Brian Lara, who were unavailable for selection because of a potential dispute between the West Indies' main sponsor, Digicell, and the players' personal contracts with C&W.

The seven were Lara, Sarwan, Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards.

Earlier, Brathwaite said he had no knowledge of an impending strike. "We have had no communication with the West Indies Players' Association about a strike," he told a news conference. "We have full confidence that the selected 11 will take the field."

He added: "We are in constant discussion with the players' association and we sent off another proposal to them today. Hopefully we will receive a positive response."

West Indies media liaison officer Imran Khan told Reuters: "The situation is that we will go into the first Test with the current 13-man squad, but that squad was chosen for the first Test only."

West Indies coach Bennett King painted his team as the underdogs going into the four-Test series.

"South Africa play a very tough style of cricket and it is one we can learn from," said King. "We hope a few diamonds will emerge from the coal."