Flintoff may bowl in India
Andrew Flintoff has not ruled out bowling in next month's Champions Trophy even though he is only just coming to the end of his ankle rehabilitation programme
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Flintoff was named captain of England's squad for the tournament in India with a view to him playing as a specialist batsman. He has not played for England since the final Test against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in June, and an aborted comeback for Lancashire in July led to ankle surgery.
The time frame for his recovery initially appeared to cut things close to the start of the Ashes, but Flintoff says he is right on track. England's first match in India is on October 15. "My rehabilitation programme was meant to stop in mid-October and that's when the cricket starts," he told reporters before a signing session for his new book Freddie My World. "Fingers crossed, if everything goes to plan hopefully I will bowl. But it's just wait and see."
He is also confident that his ankle will stand up to the stress of the winter, which after the Champions Trophy includes the five-Test Ashes series, VB Series and the World Cup in West Indies. "The operation was a success, and something that was needed, so going into a test series my ankle and my body are as fit as they have been for, probably, ever."
Flintoff has been England's first-choice captain since the tour of India in March - despite a late bid from Andrew Strauss - when Michael Vaughan was forced home with his knee injury. He says he will try to follow a similar pattern to how Vaughan captained in last summer's Ashes series, but won't be afraid to go about leadership in his own style.
"The way Michael captained the side and the basic principles that he used, I will be trying to do the same," he said. "He wanted us to enjoy playing cricket and have no fear of failing and enjoy each other's company. I will be working down those lines as well, I will probably put my stamp on it as the series goes on."
Flintoff, who is aiming to be the first visiting captain since Richie Richardson in 1992-93 to win a series in Australia, is not daunted by the challenge. Typically, he is motivated by the winter that lies head. "Playing Australia at home, having played against them last year, is tough cricket. We are going to have to play better than we did last time and we realise that. It's going to be a tough winter. It's going to be one to be enjoyed, getting the chance to play in the Ashes in Australia and the chance to go to the West Indies, it's a tough challenge but I think it will be the best winter of our lives."
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