AFTER enduring 40 hours in the air on four separate flights, little sleep and an upset body clock, Liam Plunkett could have been forgiven for wondering if international cricket was worth all the trouble.

On Tuesday, the Durham paceman was given an emergency call-up to England’s injury ravaged one-day international squad ahead of tomorrow’s final one-day international against Australia in Perth.

Plunkett, who spent barely a week with the England Lions in the Caribbean when he was summoned to Western Australia, made his last oneday international appearance in 2007.

But minutes before collapsing into his bed at Perth’s Hyatt Regency Hotel in Western Australia, he insisted that being recalled to England senior colours after four years in the international wilderness more than made up for his torrid journey across the globe.

“It was a very, very long journey to Australia from the Caribbean and I had about ten hours waiting in London as well, so I went to bed at 8.30pm in Perth because I was exhausted,”

Plunkett admitted.

“Its fantastic to be back involved with England and hopefully I will get to play a lot more in the future. I probably do have something to prove if I get another chance against Australia on Sunday.

There are a few injuries, so hopefully I will get the opportunity.

“Its great for me to be involved but the credit goes to the selectors for sticking by other Lions players when there were injuries to senior players, like they promised.

“I’ve been around England squads and Lions squads for a while now so its pleasing that the selectors think I’ve earned the right to get a senior call-up against Australia this time.

“I just want to do my best and do everything the team wants me to do. I was only in the Caribbean for a week so I only played one game for the Lions.

“I bowled 16 overs and took 1-30, so I thought it was a good start and everything is going well, but I’m the first to admit that I can improve both my batting and bowling.’’ By his own admission Plunkett, 25, has only shown glimpses of his undisputed talent in nine Tests and 28 one-day internationals to date, but the Middlesboroughborn Arsenal fan insists his best is yet to come.

His starting point on the journey to international cricketing redemption was the England performance squad’s pre-Christmas tour of Australia, where Plunkett believes he matured as much between his ears as on the cricket pitch.

“I’m a more experienced and wiser bowler than the last time I played for England but I don’t want to talk myself up too much because I play cricket for a living and this game can come back and bite you in the backside if you aren’t careful,” said Plunkett.

“The selectors have already chosen their World Cup squad so it’s probably too late for me to get a call-up, but there’s a big summer coming up at home and a lot more international cricket after that, so I want to just get my head down and do whatever the selectors ask of me.

“I want to play Test, one-day international and Twenty20 internationals for England.

“There’s nothing better than playing for your country but to do that I know I’ve got to take wickets consistently for Durham and score some runs in every game.

“I’m always proud to play for Durham and I want to stay at the Riverside for the rest of my first-class career.”

All-rounder Tim Bresnan is England’s most worrying injury concern ahead of the World Cup, team director Andy Flower has revealed.

Bresnan was forced to leave Australia early after suffering a calf complaint in the second one-day international in Hobart on January 21.

The Yorkshireman is one of five players to have left the tour prematurely with Paul Collingwood (back spasm), Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) and Chris Tremlett (side) all flying home to follow Bresnan and Graeme Swann (back/knee) on the sidelines.

When asked who was the most concerning of that quintet, Flower replied: ‘‘Probably Bresnan, considering the site of his injury just above his Achilles tendon in his lower calf.

‘‘But he has not suffered many injuries in the past and hopefully he will be ready somewhere near the start of the World Cup.’’ England’s opening World Cup match is against Holland in Nagpur on February 22