Flintoff and Pietersen cleared to play

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff will join the England squad is St Lucia for the series-deciding final ODI against West Indies after being passed fit following scans on their injuries in Barbados.

Both players were nursing injuries during the fourth ODI at the Kensington Oval. Pietersen was forced to leave the field after bowling five deliveries because of a back spasm while Flintoff required heavy strapping on his left thumb after spilling a catch. Their injuries were scanned and the tests were then sent to London for further examination but revealed no significant damage.

Flintoff had missed the final two Tests and the first two ODIs because of a hip injury.

However, Kent fast bowler Amjad Khan, who had joined the squad in the West Indies as cover for Flintoff, was suffering from cartilage damage in the knee and was scheduled to fly home on Tuesday night. Amjad had made his Test debut in the final Test in Trinidad.