Teams will be able to take an injured player to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and replace him if he breaks down during the tournament.

The Participating Nations Agreement for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 states that final squads of 15 players for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, selected from the initial lists of up to 30 players, need to be supplied in writing on or before 31 December 2002.

After this date, participating nations will be entitled to replace any players previously nominated only with the prior written consent of the Event Technical Committee.

Fitness doubts remain over several leading players, including England's Andy Flintoff, Australia's Shane Warne, West Indies' Brian Lara, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and New Zealand's Chris Cairns.

At any stage after 31 December 2002 if one of the 15 named players is, in the opinion of his team manager, unfit to play a useful part in any match during the remainder of the event a representation can be made to the Event Technical Committee.

Once the team manager has advised the Event Technical Committee a panel of three doctors approved by the ICC will examine the player. If they agree that the player is unfit to play a useful part in any match during the remainder of the event, the team may, with the prior written approval of the Event Technical Committee, replace such player with another. This procedure applies whether or not the injury existed before 31 December 2002.

Rodney Hartman, communications director for the world cup organising committee said it would be a shame if fans were deprived of the chance to see the game's great practitioners in action.

"The World Cup is all about the best playing against the best and that is what supporters pay money to see."