Cricket: Matt Prior has the Indian sign over Steven Davies at World Cup

England team director Andy Flower has denied that Matt Prior's surprise World Cup selection was a panicked choice.

Prior was included at the expense of incumbent Steven Davies yesterday despite having not played a one-day international in almost a year.

Davies had been trusted with the gloves for the past six games and was the only wicketkeeper selected for the current series against Australia. And, while Davies made a 35-ball 42 in Sunday's opening game in Melbourne, England's selectors instead opted to recall Prior.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a good Ashes series with bat and gloves and while Flower admitted that helped his cause, it was his ability on the slow sub-continental wickets that swayed their decision to include him.

"We believe that Matt Prior is best suited to the sub-continent conditions," said Flower. "The circumstances have changed. Matt Prior did very well out here in the Test matches. He is a combative, aggressive cricketer. He fits our aggressive fielding unit so those are the reasons why he has been picked for the World Cup. It was a tough decision."

Prior, who admitted at the weekend that he would be "very surprised to be in the final 15" for the World Cup, joined the squad yesterday in time to take his place for tomorrow's second one-day international in Hobart.

He is set to partner skipper Andrew Strauss at the top of the order for that game, and lead off the England innings for the first time since the 5-0 series lost in India in November 2008.

Ashes winner Chris Tremlett and Chris Woakes were the only other members of the current touring squad to be overlooked for the World Cup, meaning England will take a four-man seam attack into the tournament, which starts on 17 February. James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who will join the squad in Australia tomorrow, head that list alongside Yorkshire duo Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad.

Three specialist spinners were also included with Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy the first choice duo ahead of James Tredwell.

Flower revealed yesterday, however, that Swann is set to be sidelined for up to two weeks with a bruised knee he suffered in the Twenty20 international in Adelaide last week.

ENGLAND'S ICC WORLD CUP SQUAD: Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior (wkt), Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.