Moores reveals Flintoff target

Profiles / Editor / 01 July 2007 / Leave a Comment

England coach Peter Moores does not expect Andrew Flintoff to return to the international stage until the one-day international series against India.

The Lancashire all-rounder is currently recovering from ankle surgery and will not be in the frame for the opening Test on Thursday 19 July at Lord's, with England available to back at 2.16 on Betfair's series winner market.

Moores has suggested that Flintoff could be in contention for the third and final Test against the tourists at The Brit Oval on Thursday 9 August but that a more realistic target would be the one-day series which follows.

"I don't think he is pencilled in for the Tests, it's more looking towards, maybe possibly, the last Test or the one-dayers," new national coach Moores told BBC Radio Five Live.

"We don't want to rush it because we want to make sure it's right. The schedules once he comes back are pretty hectic and we don't want it going again."

Moores added: "We saw Andrew a couple of days ago and he was doing some work in the hotel and it seems to be going very well with his ankle.

"We know it's quite a long rehab, he's got some more work to do but everything he has done so far (the medical staff) is very pleased about."

Flintoff himself is hoping for a brighter and injury-free 2007 but fears his hopes of being captain against for his country are over.

He was fined and stripped of the vice-captaincy after going out drinking following England's opening World Cup defeat to New Zealand and has since seen Michael Vaughan return to his post as Test captain after injury and Paul Collingwood appointed as one-day skipper.

Flintoff told the News of the World: "I will probably never captain England again unless something extraordinary happens - I think I might have burnt my boats in that direction. I can cope with that.

"What does keep me awake at night is the thought of never playing for England again. I don't think people realise just how much cricket I have missed, especially at home, since our 2005 Ashes win."