TIM Bresnan will link up with the England Lions one-day squad in South Africa next week, taking the Yorkshire contingent on tour to seven.

The Headingley all-rounder will leave Australia this weekend, where he has just completed a short stint playing Big Bash League Twenty20 cricket for Hobart Hurricanes.

Bresnan will be available for the last three of five one-day matches against South Africa A, the first of those coming at Potchefstroom next Saturday.

County colleagues Jonny Bairstow, Jack Brooks, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid are already on tour with the Lions and they have just taken part in a drawn two-match Test series. The one-day series starts in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Bresnan trained with the full England squad ahead of today's one-day international against Australia at Hobart and England national selector James Whitaker says he is on stand-by for the World Cup.

"The Lions one-day series in South Africa means we can have a group of players involved in high quality and competitive 50-over cricket in the weeks leading up to the World Cup," said Whitaker.

"Joining the squad will give Tim the opportunity to show that he is ready to be considered if a replacement is required."