England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will make his latest return from injury by playing in a county reserve match. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have allowed fast bowler Flintoff to appear as a batsman only in Lancashire's 2nd XI fixture against Derbyshire at Blackpool, which starts on Tuesday.
Flintoff, 29, has missed the whole of England's home international season so far because of a longstanding left ankle problem, which has now requred three separate operations, the last in June.
It now looks as if he will miss the three-Test series against India, which started at Lord's on Thursday, but Flintoff hopes to be fit for the subsequent one-day internationals. The first of seven matches is at the Rose Bowl on August 21.
"I have a new hunger to get back in the side and perform," Flintoff told Sport magazine this month. "When something is taken away from you and you can't play - through injury or whatever reason - you realise how much you miss it and how much you want to get back.
"I'm desperate to get back as soon as I can. I am still only 29 and I genuinely believe my best years are in front of me.
A lot of batsmen don't reach their peak until their early 30s and, as a bowler, I feel I'm reaching that peak too." In his absence and that of fellow injured Test pace bowlers Matthew Hoggard (back) and Stephen Harmison (hernia), England's quicks still managed to bowl India out for 201 in the tourists' first innings at Lord's.
James Anderson, Flintoff's Lancashire team-mate, took a Test-best five for 42 and left-armer Ryan Sidebottom four for 65 to give England a first innings lead of 97.
Comments
Comments are closed.