Shahzad and Tremlett to fly home

England pace duo Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Tremlett will fly home from Sydney on Thursday for treatment on the injuries which have ended their participation in the one-day international series against Australia.

Yorkshireman Shahzad has been ruled out of the final two games after injuring his hamstring in the fifth match in Brisbane, which Surrey seamer Tremlett also missed due to a side strain.

While there has been no further deterioration in their condition, the England and Wales Cricket Board have made the decision to fly the pair home earlier than originally planned to allow a longer window of rehabilitation treatment in England before the squad travel to the subcontinent for the World Cup later this month.

Shahzad will be seen as the more pressing case of the two as he, unlike Tremlett, was selected in England's 15-man party for the tournament, which begins on February 19, with England's first pool match three days later.

Tremlett, though, would be a likely replacement should any of his side's other walking wounded fail to make it.

Spinner Graeme Swann and Shahzad's county colleague Tim Bresnan flew home early last week due to respective back and calf problems, while all-rounder Stuart Broad has only recently rejoined the squad after a torn abdominal muscle cut his Ashes series short after two Tests.

Durham's Liam Plunkett was summoned from England Lions' tour of the West Indies as cover and will arrive in time for the seventh and final match of the current series in Perth on Sunday.