Ravi Bopara and Amjad Khan have been called up to England's tour of the Caribbean as injury cover.
Bopara and Khan heading to the Caribbean as cover for Flintoff
Essex batsman Ravi Bopara and Kent fast bowler Amjad Khan have been called up to England's tour of West Indies.
Andrew Flintoff has been struggling with a hip injury during the third Test of the five-game series in Antigua, prompting the tourists to send for reinforcements.
Bopara, 23, made the most recent of his three Test appearances in Sri Lanka 14 months ago but has remained an integral member of the limited-overs set up.
He impressed with the bat for Essex last season, plundering 1,256 first-class runs at an average of 54.60.
Amjad, 28, is uncapped at international level but was part of England's squad during the Test series in India last December.
Both players had flown to New Zealand with the second-string England Lions before being redirected to link up with the full squad in the Caribbean.
They will arrive in time to be available for the fourth Test in Barbados, which starts on February 26.
Flintoff scan
Flintoff, meanwhile, will undergo a scan on his right hip at the conclusion of the third Test.
The Lancashire all-rounder has a suspected muscle tear but has not been ruled out of bowling on Thursday's final day in Antigua if required. West Indies, who lead the series 1-0, closed day four at 143-3 in pursuit of a victory target of 503.
"They (Bopara and Amjad) are coming because Fred has hurt himself and will be here as soon as possible," said England assistant coach Andy Flower.
"People will have seen yesterday (Wednesday) that he cannot move properly because of some problem in his hip.
"There is a limit to how much we know about the injury at this stage but he is going to give bowling a go.
"He is struggling to get it through at full pace but if we need him he will bowl.
"He knows his body very well and he will feel whether he can do the job.
"Even at three-quarter pace he can still do a job for us. But it's finding a balance between winning the Test and not doing any lasting damage.
"We don't know what the injury is at this stage and an MRI scan will give us more information.
"The medical guys think there might be a little tear there, they're not sure, but it is a muscle problem in his hip."
