Flintoff aims to make up for lost time

The arrival of Andrew Flintoff and the six other members of the one-day squad in Bangladesh last Wednesday for the three-match series has given the England side a welcome boost after their 2-0 win in the Tests. While England were wrapping-up their four-day victory in the second Test at Chittagong, Flintoff was busy loosening-up with his colleagues at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.

"It was unfortunate to miss the Tests but I had a groin injury and failed to come with the team," Flintoff explained. "Now I am keeping well and trying heart and soul to give my best. I always try to improve and want to play my own game. Now I am 25, so I have to play a lot of cricket. I have to realise more and now I can tackle the pressure."

Flintoff said that he was looking forward to getting back into action, but he diplomatically dismissed suggestions that Bangladesh would be a walkover. "The 50-over match is different ball game so it will be anybody's series."

The one-day specialists, who will join up with the core of the tour party tomorrow, are being supervised by Tim Boon, England's assistant coach, and he said that the newcomers were acclimatising well. "We are trying to keep all the boys fit for the next week and have been following some programmes," he told reporters. "There is a hard competition for places in the team, so it's not easy to get a chance."

England one-day squad Michael Vaughan (capt), James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Blackwell, Rikki Clarke, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Richard Johnson, James Kirtley, Anthony McGrath, Chris Read (wkt), Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick.