Flintoff recalled to Pakistan as cover for injured list

Less than two weeks after arriving back in England to have his back injury treated, Andrew Flintoff has been recalled to Pakistan to cover for injuries to the Test squad.

The 22 year-old all rounder was sent home from Pakistan following the one-day international series afer a recurrence of his long-standing back problem ruled him out of England's bowling attack.

Even before the series started, he was warned that if he was unable to bowl he would be sent home though coach Duncan Fletcher said after Flintoff's blistering 84 in Karachi that he would be first choice to be recalled if required.

Despite his contribution with the bat in that first one day international, it was decided he should return to Manchester to receive treatment rather than remain in Pakistan as a specialist batsman but now, with a handful of the Test contenders doubtful because of injury, Flintoff has been summoned back to Lahore and will remain with the party until the end of the tour.

The decision was taken after it emerged that four players - Craig White, Dominic Cork, Michael Vaughan and skipper Nasser Hussain - all have question marks over their fitness though Hussain, with lower back pain is expected to recover in time for the first Test starting on Wednesday.

Vaughan is the least likely to make the starting line-up after sustaining a calf injury when fielding in the Peshawar match last week and White has a strained hamstring aggravated by bowling long spells.

"At the moment, Michael is 70-30 against playing in the Test, but we'll monitor the situation and assess him again after net practice tomorrow," said physiotherapist Dean Conway.

"Craig has a niggling type of injury and is expected to be fit for the Test. We are monitoring the situation simply because it is a five-day game and we need to be sure he can come through it.

"Nasser experiences some discomfort when he's playing the sweep shot, but we expect him to play a full part in practice," added Conway.

Cork strained his back in the Rawalpindi game and his condition has worsened since then so will undergo fitness tests over the next couple of days to assess his Test chances.