Flintoff fit for T20 opener
All-rounder Flintoff has been given medical clearance to play
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Thursday, 13, Sep 2007 12:53
Andrew Flintoff has been passed fit to face Zimbabwe in England's opening match of the World Twenty20.
The all-rounder has been struggling with an ankle injury recently but has been deemed fit enough to play in a strong batting line-up for Peter Moores' men.
Twenty20 specialist Darren Maddy opens the batting opposite Matt Prior, despite the Sussex wicketkeeper-batsman's recent disappointing form.
Prior's county team-mate, all-rounder Luke Wright, is moved up to three after an impressive start to his international career towards the end of the recent one-day series against India.
Middle-order stalwarts Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, the captain, are named at four and five, respectively.
Behind Flintoff at seven comes Owais Shah, who scored his maiden ODI hundred in the sixth match of the series against India last week. Dimitri Mascarenhas, who hit five consecutive sixes during that same match, is named at eight.
The bowling contingent includes leg-spinner Chris Schofield, who returns to the England fold after a seven-year absence.
During this time, Schofield was dropped from the ECB's central contract list before his county form plummeted and he even spent a year out of the game after being cut by Lancashire.
However he has now successfully rescued his career with new county Surrey and established himself as a solid Twenty20 player in domestic cricket.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson will predictably make up the strike partnership after impressing in recent one-day and Test matches.
England XI to play Zimbabwe:
Darren Maddy
Matt Prior
Luke Wright
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Owais Shah
Dimitri Mascarenhas
Chris Schofield
Stuart Broad
James Anderson