(CNN) -- Australia's 2011 Cricket World Cup hopes have suffered a double blow with the news that Mike Hussey and Nathan Hauritz have been ruled out of the tournament through injury.
Batsman Hussey ruptured a hamstring tendon playing against England last month, while spin-bowler Hauritz dislocated his right shoulder in the following one-day international on January 21.
Cricket Australia have applied to replace Hussey with 26-year-old batsman Callum Ferguson and Hauritz with all-rounder Jason Krejza ahead of the team's title defense.
"Both Mike Hussey and Nathan Hauritz suffered significant injuries both of which necessitated surgery," Andrew Hilditch, chairman of the National Selection Panel (NSP), told the Cricket Australia website.
"Based on the medical advice an application is being made to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to replace both players in the World Cup squad.
"The NSP has determined that the best strategy to ensure a successful campaign is for Australia to enter the tournament with a fully-fit squad of 15 from the first game."
The 35-year-old Hussey's withdrawal, in particular, will be a blow for the defending champions.
The veteran of 151 one-day matches is the only Australian in the top-10 of the batting rankings for this form of the game.
Krejza made his one-day international debut in Sunday's 57-run victory over England, while Ferguson has represented Australia in 28 50-over matches.
In better news for Australia, captain Ricky Ponting is expected to be fit to lead the team after recovering from a broken finger.
Ponting missed Australia's final Ashes Test against England and the following one-day series but is expected to return for the tournament in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
"It's a lot better now than it was last week," Ponting, who is looking to compete in his fifth World Cup, told British newspaper The Independent.
"I've been back in the nets this week. I've had three good hits, so it's actually probably a bit further advanced than I thought it would be."
Under the guidance of vice-captain Michael Clarke, Australia have been in a rich vein of form and have secured a 6-1 one-day series triumph over England.
The 36-year-old Ponting averaged a score of just 16 during his side's 3-1 Ashes series defeat to England, as he became the first Australian captain in 120 years to lose the historic contest on three occasions.
Australia have won cricket's premier 50-over competition on four occasions and will begin their campaign against Zimbabwe in India on February 21.
Elsewhere, England batsman Eoin Morgan was ruled out of the World Cup on Tuesday with a broken finger sustained during the recent tour of Australia.
The Ireland-born 24-year-old has been replaced by Ravi Bopara in the 15-man squad. Bopara, 25, played in the 2007 tournament and has 54 one-day caps for his country.
India bowler Praveen Kumar is another experienced player who has been forced to withdraw from the tournament after he suffered an elbow injury while on tour in South Africa.
India, co-hosts of the February 19-April 2 tournament with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, have called up Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to replace Kumar in their bowling attack.
The 28-year old Sreesanth has represented India 51 times at one-day level, taking 75 wickets.