Atherton questions England set-up

Michael Atherton: 'here's a guy who's played minimal cricket for the best part of eight or nine months, but a guy they want to captain out there' © Getty Images

Michael Atherton, the former England captain, fears history is in danger of repeating itself with Andrew Flintoff ruled out for 12 weeks after it was decided he needed surgery on his recurring ankle problem.

England had hoped rest and rehabilitation would be the answer to a problem, caused by bone fragments left in Flintoff's left ankle from an operation at the beginning of last year. However, he only bowled two overs on the final day of his comeback at Canterbury before leaving the field.

Now Flintoff - named as captain in place of the injured Michael Vaughan - faces a spell on the sidelines which could leave him desperately short of match practice before November's first Ashes Test in Brisbane.

For Atherton, a former Lancashire team mate of Flintoff, the situation has worrying echoes of England's last tour of Australia in 2002-03. England arrived with several players - including Flintoff, Darren Gough, and Simon Jones - who were not fully fit. Australia went on to retain the Ashes in a mere 11 days' playing time and won the series 4-1.

"It was a shambolic start to England's last Ashes tour and, on the back of that, the selectors were very clear when they said, 'We will not do this again, we will not take players who are not fully match fit'," Atherton told Sky Sports. "But they are going to be faced with this situation with Andrew Flintoff, that here's a guy who's played minimal cricket for the best part of eight or nine months, but a guy they want to captain out there.

"It's going to be an interesting question because he's going to be getting on that plane without any knowledge really that he's fully match fit," Atherton added. "Going back to what happened four years ago that is exactly the situation the selectors were keen to avoid again, going out on a long, three-month tour of Australia. They said it wouldn't happen again but they are going to be faced with a tricky situation to justify somebody's inclusion."

With Vaughan, who led England to Ashes glory last year, also out of the return series, and fellow Ashes-winners Jones and Ashley Giles both still sidelined, Atherton was adamant Flintoff's was not an isolated case.

"It does seem to me that over the last four or five years this has been a regular problem for England players. The management of injuries seems to be - incompetent might be too strong a word for it - recurring time and time again.

"You can go back to that Ashes series four years ago and move on from there and the number of players that have an operation, rehabilitation that seems to go all right but then they demand another operation - Simon Jones, Ashley Giles, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Darren Gough - it's a long list and I think some questions should be asked."

England used just 12 players in their 2-1 series win over Australia last year and chairman of selectors David Graveney defended the present set-up. "We've got a much more extensive medical team in place now than when I became chairman of selectors in 1997," he told AFP. "But I think these questions are best addressed to the medical officer."

Peter Gregory, England's chief medical officer, was unavailable for comment on Saturday as he was on annual leave and was not expected back at work until Tuesday.