Flintoff backs himself for first Ashes Test

'The first [Ashes] Test isn't until the back end of November, so I'm confident I'll be fine' - Andrew Flintoff © Getty Images

Andrew Flintoff has insisted his recovery from an ankle injury is progressing well as he backed himself to return to England's starting line-up in the first Ashes Test.

Flintoff, whom the England selectors want to captain the team in Australia, said he was confident he would take the field at Brisbane's Gabba ground on November 23. "I'm about three weeks in to a 12-week rehab which will finish probably mid-October," he told BBC television on Tuesday. "We don't leave for the Ashes until the first week in November, the first Test isn't until the back end of November, so I'm confident I'll be fine."

He believed England needed to beat Pakistan in the fourth and final Test at The Oval, which starts Thursday, to give them a confidence boost going into the their Ashes defence. "You want to take momentum going into a big series like this. Hopefully we can do that at The Oval this weekend and win the series 3-0. If we play anything like we have done over these past two Test matches we'll have a great shout."

Flintoff was the outstanding performer in England's 2-1 Ashes series triumph last year with 402 runs and 24 wickets. The next big date in his calendar is a benefit event on August 24 at Old Trafford in Manchester when his county, Lancashire, take on Flintoff's England XI. "It's going to be two good sides playing against each other," Flintoff said. "For England a side with the likes of Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Monty Panesar to name a few. For Lancashire, the likes of Darren Lehmann and Chris Cairns are going to guest for them."