Brett Lee and Shane Watson will return home early from Australia's one-day tour of England due to calf injuries.
Australia duo return home early from England due to injury
Brett Lee and Shane Watson will return home early from Australia's one-day tour of England due to calf injuries.
Both players were hurt during England's series-clinching, eight-wicket victory at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.
Australia trail 3-0 heading into Sunday's final game at Old Trafford but will retain top spot in the rankings regardless of the result in Manchester, where England are going for a 10th straight win in the 50-over format.
Experienced paceman Lee and all-rounder Watson, who have played 375 ODIs between them, will undergo further assessment in Australia before their availability for the tour of the United Arab Emirates to play Pakistan, starting in late August, is determined.
Scans
"Shane Watson and Brett Lee have calf strains - Shane to the left and Brett to the right calf - sustained during the fourth ODI against England at Durham," said Australia team doctor John Orchard in a statement.
"Because both players will miss the final game, they are flying back to Sydney for MRI scans and further treatment.
"At this stage, they are anticipated to be available for consideration for selection for the ICC World Twenty20, with scan results and response to treatment to determine whether they will be available for consideration for selection for the coming series against Pakistan in the UAE."
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, already in the country playing for Yorkshire, has been
called up by Australia as cover.
