Flintoff on course for second Test

England are increasingly confident that Andrew Flintoff will be available for the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford which gets underway on July 27. Flintoff missed out on England's calamitous one-day series against Sri Lanka and has undergone extensive rehabilitation on his injured ankle, spending time at Bovey Castle in Dartmoor with the England physio Dave Roberts.

He will make his return to competitive cricket this afternoon in a Twenty20 clash for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire, one of two Twenty20 matches he will play. It was confirmed by England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, that he will also take part in a Championship match against Kent on July 18. "Everything is on course. It is very positive," Graveney told BBC Radio 5 Live. "All things being equal, he will be available for the second Test.

"He is going to play in two Twenty20 games for Lancashire and then a county championship game."

Last week, Flintoff was named as the official stand-in to Michael Vaughan who was ruled out of the Ashes this winter; while Flintoff continues to recover from his injury, Andrew Strauss will lead the side at Lord's on Thursday.