Though English cricket officials have said that their team would play in Zimbabwe on February 13, the players are having second thoughts. On Monday, the latter are expected to release, through their representative Richard Bevan, a statement outlining their position on the issue.

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman David Morgan revealed on Friday that the players were 'examining their consciences'.

The England team have scrapped plans to return home between their Australia tour and the World Cup. Some in the 15-man squad - including captain Nasser Hussain - wanted to spend a few days back in Britain upon the conclusion of the one-day VB Series.

Players' representative Richard Bevan had on Friday met England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tim Lamb to press their case, but without success.

Glenn McGrath has no immediate plans to quit international one-day cricket.

Despite nursing a slight back injury that has seen him rested in the final rounds of the VB series and the finals, the Australian pace spearhead said he still has goals in the limited overs game.

"There are things I still want to achieve in one-day cricket and, at the moment, I'm still motivated to play both forms of the game," McGrath said.

"I'm on 256 one-day wickets at the moment. I want to get to 300 and then I'll probably re-assess it from there," he said.

"Warney has 289 one-day wickets and he'll be looking for 300 by the end of the World Cup, just as he'll be looking at 500 Test wickets and beyond."

Australia's senior cricket selector Trevor Hohns on Sunday rejected suggestions that there is a 'crisis' with several members of the team nursing injuries 16 days before the start of the World Cup.

Experienced middle-order left-hander Michael Bevan became Australia's latest casualty on Saturday when he was taken off the field on a stretcher with a groin injury during the second tri-nations series final against England in Melbourne.

The Bevan incident came shortly after young all-rounder Shane Watson had been forced to withdraw from the World Cup squad with a back problem. Doubts about fitness are also plaguing among others fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie.

But Hohns, chairman of the selection panel, said there was no cause for panic.

"To have so many injuries before the World Cup is obviously a little disturbing, but the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together," he said. "There is certainly no crisis.

"Glenn McGrath is okay -- the team medicos are totally confident of that and he could have played Saturday against England."

"Gillespie did play today (taking 1-28 in 10 overs for South Australia in a one-day inter-state match against Tasmania) and from all reports bowled very well."

"Shane Warne is back playing. At present, the only problem area is Bevan."

"Our first World Cup game is in 16 days, but the injury isn't as bad as first thought, so that's a bonus."

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly had his first session at the nets after his return from New Zealand when he practised at the Eden Gardens on Saturday in the presence of former Bengal pacer Shib Shankar Paul and a clutch of junior state-level players.

Sourav later said he had no worries in either the bowling or batting department. "This is a team, which has done very well in the past year or so. The New Zealand experience was a bad one, but every team has its ups and downs."

The captain said he had not spoken to any of his team mates after returning from New Zealand because "They have had a hard tour and need some time with their families, away from cricket."