Paceman Brad Williams was called in on Thursday as cover for Glenn McGrath on Australia's cricket tour to the West Indies after McGrath returned home to be with his indisposed wife.

McGrath was granted leave to return home after he received medical advice about his English-born wife, Jane, on Wednesday.

Williams, one of the fastest bowlers in cricket, left for the West Indies later Thursday and will link up with the squad in Georgetown, Guyana, on Sunday, the Australian Cricket Board said in a statement.

The ACB said Jane McGrath had been diagnosed with a secondary cancer infection in her hip.

The board's statement said all indications were that with treatment, she would have a full recovery.

McGrath arrived here late Thursday but left the Sydney airport terminal through a side exit, avoiding waiting media.

The leading paceman's manager Warren Craig said Jane McGrath's condition was related to, but not a recurrence of, the breast cancer that led her to have a mastectomy in 1997.

"It definitely is not breast cancer," Craig told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It is linked, however. The condition is basically a derivative of that, but it can be treated. It is serious without being overly serious."

Jane McGrath was not hospitalised and her husband seemed positive and upbeat, said Craig.

"Like any husband who is overseas when their wife gets diagnosed with something, you come home and sort it out and go from there," he said.

Despite the diagnosis, Craig said McGrath had been in a positive mood and the 33-year-old bowler believed he would return to the West Indies.

"When I spoke to him from London he was pretty positive and upbeat and he has sent all his gear onto the West Indies," Craig said. Jane, a former flight attendant, is the mother of James, 3, and Holly, 18 months.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the uncertainty meant the selectors had to make a decision on a replacement player.

"It is an unfortunate situation confronting the McGrath family and it was important that Glenn return home to be with his wife, Jane," Hohns said in the ACB statement.

"We will talk with Glenn over the weekend to ascertain his position and see how everything is progressing. While we expect he will be able to return to the West Indies, we needed to make an urgent decision about a replacement player after consulting with team management."

Hohns said that with (batsman) Damien Martyn (injured finger) joining the squad later in the tour and Jason Gillespie's recent recovery from a heel problem, "We felt it was necessary to call in another player to boost the bowling stocks.

"Brad has bowled consistently during the summer and has been in contention for some time, so we expect him to slot in nicely with the balance of the team and make a strong impact with his pace and accuracy."

McGrath is the second-highest Australian Test wicket-taker behind Shane Warne, with 422 wickets in 91 Tests at 21.45, and is regarded as world cricket's leading fast bowler.

The Australian team was scheduled to arrive in Georgetown, Guyana, late Wednesday local time.

Australia play four Tests and seven one-dayers against West Indies.

The World Cup winners' first match is a three-day game against a President's XI in Georgetown, starting on Saturday.

They hope to have their pace spearhead back in time for the first Test, beginning on April 10.