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Mike Atherton and Ian Austin are to tour South Africa with Lancashire as a pre-World Cup fitness test.

At the request of the England selectors, the Red Rose duo have been included in a 20-strong Lancashire party which flies out to Cape Town on Sunday.

``It is an ideal opportunity for them to reach match fitness,'' said tour manager Dave Edmundson.

Lancashire are away for two weeks, playing two three-day matches and a series of one-dayers. Later Atherton and Austin, named recently in England's 15 for the World Cup, will link up with the national squad for the Sharjah Trophy.

Atherton had a recurrence of back trouble during the Ashes series and was left out of the one-day tournament Down Under. Austin has been getting over a knee operation.

Both are expected to prove they are 100 per cent for the World Cup which starts on May 14.

Lancashire's other England stars, Neil Fairbrother and Andy Flintoff, are not needed in South Africa. Fairbrother had a hectic one-day series in Australia, and Flintoff has just finished a long stint on the successful England A tour.