Tremlett standing by as pace cover for the World Cup

Tremlett has fully recovered from a side strain and is in contention to deputise for any of a host of his fellow bowlers who also suffered injuries during a tortuous seven-match one-day international series in Australia, which England lost 6-1.

National selector Geoff Miller said: “Whilst the injured bowlers in the 15-man squad are all progressing well, the selectors have decided it would be prudent to have an additional player on hand who is acclimatised in case we need to apply to the event technical committee for a replacement due to injury.”

Yorkshire pace duo Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad were two of the bowlers to depart the ODI series early after suffering respective calf and hamstring injuries.

Tremlett, who flew home alongside Shahzad but has made a sufficiently swift recovery, would be an ideal replacement should either of that pair or Stuart Broad – nearing full fitness after an abdominal muscle injury ended his tour following the second Ashes Test – not make it.

Spinner Graeme Swann is a further doubt with a back problem and batsman Eoin Morgan has already been ruled out with a broken finger, but coach Andy Flower was upbeat on the prospects for his depleted bowling stocks.

“We’ve got good news on most of our other players,” confirmed Flower. “The guys that came back early are progressing well.”

Kevin Pietersen believes winning the forthcoming World Cup would complete the greatest year in English cricket history.

England won the ICC World Twenty20 last year and beat Bangladesh and Pakistan in Test series in the summer before retaining the Ashes in Australia.

“We’re going to a World Cup and World Cups are incredible events,” said Pietersen. “We’ve had an incredible 12 months and winning would cap off the most remarkable 12 months in English cricket history.

“It doesn’t matter if we’ve got three or four days (to prepare), that’s exactly what we’ve got. We’ve got to focus our attention on being as positive as we can to go and do a job in India and that’s exactly how the boys are feeling.”

Gloucestershire have pulled off a coup by signing Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for the next two domestic Twenty20 campaigns. The 38-year-old will join the county after playing his last international tournament for Sri Lanka at the World Cup and then representing Kochi in the Indian Premier League.

Uncapped left-arm seam bowler Junaid Khan, 21, has replaced knee injury victim Sohail Tanvir in Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

The MCC have awarded Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff honorary life membership.