PEDRO COLLINS' long overdue Test recall won't materalise next Saturday.

The 31-year-old Barbadian fast bowler has withdrawn from the West Indies 15-man squad to face Sri Lanka in the opening Digicel Test and it stems from a contract signed with English county club Surrey under the Kolpak ruling.

Collins, who has had impressive returns in the ongoing Carib Beer Series, informed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) of his unavailability in a letter that was copied to the West Indies Players' Association.

"I would like to thank you for considering me once again to represent the West Indies cricket team, something which I have always done with pride, honour and dignity," Collins told the WICB.

"Unfortunately, due to prior contractual commitments, I have no alternative but to decline your kind invitation at this time.

"I would like to take the opportunity to wish my colleagues best of luck for the upcoming series as I have every confidence they would make us all proud. Thank you in advance for your understanding."

The Kolpak ruling is a judgement in the European Court of Justice in May 2004 which stipulates that if a person is a national of a country which has an association agreement with the European Union and that person is in possession of a valid British work permit, he must be treated for the purposes of employment as if he were a citizen of an EU country.

In the case of cricket, this means that a cricketer from such a country who is in possession of a valid British work permit is treated as if he were a British or other European citizen and can therefore qualify as a domestic player for competitive county cricket.

Under the ruling, the player must give up playing as a domestic player in his home country.

Collins, who played the last of his 32 Tests in 2006, signed the two-year deal with Surrey last October, which at the time appeared to signal a halt to his international career.

He was selected by the West Indies for recent tour of South Africa where he did not play a single Test, but on his return to the Caribbean he has made an impact in the Carib Beer Series by grabbing 18 wickets in three matches.

When he grabbed a nine-wicket haul against Jamaica and was named Man Of The Match, he admitted in an interview last Monday that there would be challenges in taking his place in the West Indies team for the Test series against Sri Lanka if he was selected.

"It could be [a challenge]. I am speaking to my agent and trying to sort out some stuff. Hopefully things will work out and I will get to play before I go up there," Collins said.