Kirtley in line for Anderson's place

England's cricket selectors will decide over the next few days which type of bowler should be sent to Bangladesh after James Anderson was ruled out of the tour because of a knee injury.

They are hopeful the Lancashire paceman will be fit to fly out on 28 October and ready for the first one-day international in Chittagong on 7 November.

But in the meantime, the selectors must decide who will be Anderson's replacement for the two Test matches.

Sussex's James Kirtley, who claimed 13 wickets in his two Test appearances against South Africa this summer only to miss the end of the season with shin splints, is the favourite after being overlooked for the Test squad. Richard Johnson, of Somerset, Worcestershire's Kabir Ali and Surrey's Martin Bicknell are the other leading candidates.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "Losing James for the Bangladesh Tests is a blow but he's a young bowler who has borne a heavy workload this summer and having consulted the medical team we feel that this decision is in his best long-term interests."

Meanwhille, the England and Wales Cricket Board have been urged to cancel next winter's tour of Zimbabwe by their chief sponsors Vodafone. Former ECB chief Lord MacLaurin is now chairman of the telecommunications group and he believes the tour would provide bad publicity for his company and England.

MacLaurin said: "We do not want to support a side that goes and plays in a country with the sort of regime that is reviled not just by this company but by many in the country.

"To do so would be abhorrent and would be good for the brand image neither of Vodafone nor England cricket. We've told the ECB we would rather the team did not go to Zimbabwe."

England pulled out of a World Cup fixture in Harare earlier this year for safety reasons, having also received political pressure to withdraw on moral grounds.