Flintoff not playing BD - official

[mwrkhan]

It's official, Flintoff is not playing against BD.

link

Andrew Flintoff has been cleared by the England and Wales Cricket Board to start the season with his county Lancashire instead of playing in the two-Test series against Bangladesh.

The all-rounder, who returned early from England's tour of South Africa to have an ankle operation, could make his comeback as a batsman in Lancashire's opening championship game against Somerset next month and play in half the county's championship matches

He is working to a plan drawn up by the ECB with the aim of producing him in mint condition for the Ashes series against Australia which starts on July 21 at Lord's.

Flintoff has played only six championship games, the last in June 2003, 11 one-day and three Twenty20 games for his county in the last three seasons. He is unlikely to be used in the two Test matches against Bangladesh and may miss the NatWest series which precedes the main event.

"The plan is that 'Freddie' will start off playing just as a batsman and then gradually build up to bowling a few overs," Mike Watkinson, Lancashire's director of cricket, said. "When he bowls and how much will be up to him and how he feels."

England bowler Simon Jones has admitted that he was very close to leaving Glamorgan despite signing a new three-year deal with the Welsh county yesterday.

Jones said that he had sounded out possible moves to Surrey, Hampshire and Worcestershire after being unhappy with Glamorgan's selection policy.

Clear-the-air talks with captain Robert Croft last month persuaded Jones to sign a contract that will keep him at Sophia Gardens until the end of 2007 season.

Jones, 26, said the sticking point had been Glamorgan's failure to pick him in a championship game last July after he had been released by England from the Old Trafford Test against the West Indies.

The England and Wales Cricket Board are facing a confrontation with the Pakistan Cricket Board over their decision to stage a Test match this winter in politically volatile Karachi.

Sri Lanka are the only team to have played a Test in Karachi since a bomb exploded outside the New Zealand team hotel in 2002.

New Zealand, South Africa and India have since refused to play there but the PCB are hoping to persuade England to play at the National Stadium on their tour in November and December.

The ECB and UK Sport are close to an agreement which will mean players at inter-national and county levels submitting themselves to dope testing at practice sessions. The agreement is supported by the Professional Cricketers' Association.

There were 150 drugs tests in English cricket last season, producing one positive result. Warwickshire and England A all-rounder Graham Wagg was suspended for 15 months and sacked by his county after he admitted taking cocaine.

[fwullah]

Does it mean that he's still in the ODI team? I was kinda hoping that he'd be out from the England ODI team and that we could win at least 1 ODI against England minus Flintoff if not 2.

[Hasib]

i sure hope so. Mind u... we shudnt be afraid of him... no matter what his record maybe.... after all he is human.

[shujan]

As of now He is out of ODI too.

[couger]

Originally posted by Hasib
Mind u... we shudnt be afraid of him... no matter what his record maybe.... after all he is human.

That is correct.

[Shehwar]

Yeah he is human no doubt.....but his inhumanity comes into play most of the times when he is batting.....So.....let me put it this way: I don't mind such humans not playing agaisnt our side! cheers...

[2007WcSemifinalist]

http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/C...12MAR2005.html

[2007WcSemifinalist]

Flintoff to make Lancashire comeback

Cricinfo staff

March 12, 2005



Andrew Flintoff has been officially ruled out of England's two-Test series against Bangladesh in May and June, but could yet make his competitive comeback for Lancashire in their opening championship fixture against Somerset next month, as he continues his rehabilitation from ankle surgery.

Flintoff, one of the bowling stars of England's Test-series win over South Africa, flew home ahead of their 4-1 defeat in the subsequent one-day series, to have a spur on his troublesome left ankle removed. The operation was timed so as to allow Flintoff the maximum time to recover ahead of the Ashes series in July, and such was his commitment to England's cause that he was prepared to forego his honeymoon, after getting married to his fiancée Rachel Wools earlier this month.

A Flintoff appearance at county level is a rare event these days – in the past three seasons, he has featured in just six Championship matches, 11 one-day matches and three Twenty20 games – but this time he has been given clearance by the England & Wales Cricket Board to complete his rehabilitation away from the international spotlight. "The plan is that Freddie will start off playing just as a batsman and then gradually build up to bowling a few overs," Mike Watkinson, Lancashire's director of cricket, told The Daily Telegraph. "When he bowls and how much will be up to him and how he feels."

The last time Flintoff played in a Championship match for Lancashire was in the early stages of the 2003 season, when he was ruled out of the Zimbabwe series after being pinned on the shoulder by a Sajid Mahmood beamer. The sojourn worked wonders for both club and country – he averaged 103 with the bat for Lancashire in five matches, before returning at full throttle to take the Man of the Series award for England against South Africa.

[cricman]

they're underestimating ud to much, remember what ganguly did i hope we get the same result.

and if we do win i hope the english media won't say that bd won because flintoff is isnt plying

[Akib]

Its good that Flintoff is not playing. It gives Peitersona chance to play before the Ashes,

[chyicarus]

I think it is a good move by ECB since they have the Ashes coming up pretty soon. If Pietersen can come up as good as he did against SA in the Tests- then Australia wil have their hands full for the Ashes.
For BD- it is obviously a bonus- but there are 11 other players in the team- and they should be worried about each and every one of them, although I can't really call Giles a test cricketer!!!