Flintoff fitness worrying selectors
Flintoff fitness worrying selectors
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Wednesday, 07, Jun 2006 11:42
Fears over the fitness of England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff have heightened after the selectors delayed the announcement regarding his injured ankle.
The Lancashire player couldn't bowl on the fourth day of the third Test against Sri Lanka after suffering the problem with his left ankle.
Flintoff admitted after the game that a scan had revealed three pieces of floating bone in his ankle but the results of a further examination have not been released by the selectors, sparking fears that the injury could be worse than first suspected.
"There are a few dangers of playing a player when he is less than 100 per cent fit," chairman of selectors David Graveney said.
"Freddie doesn't shy away from anything in terms of workload when he plays and we have been down this road before, particularly the last time we went to Australia, and we we've learned our lessons from that to ensure we make the best possible decision."
England are due to play a Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka on June 15th before the first one-day international is played on the 17th.
It seems very unlikely now that the stand-in captain for Michael Vaughan will feature in these games, with a prolonged period on the sidelines expected if he requires surgery.
Vaughan is considered unfit to return and will play more games for Yorkshire before a recall to the national team is contemplated by Graveney.
Opener Andrew Strauss is expected to captain the side if Flintoff misses out.
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