Flintoff to make 2nd XI return

Andrew Flintoff has spent plenty of time on the sidelines since the World Cup © Getty Images

Andrew Flintoff will make his return to action earlier than expected when he turns out for Lancashire's 2nd XI at Blackpool on Tuesday. He will play as a batsman after the ECB made him available for the match following promising progress in his recovery from the ankle surgery which has ruled him out of England action this season.

Earlier this week Flintoff said he was targeting the one-day series against India as a return to the England scene and the 2nd XI outing is the first stage of the comeback. Earlier this season he played as a batsman for Lancashire before it was decided that he would undergo surgery.

Flintoff initially felt discomfort following the Championship match against Hampshire, at The Rose Bowl, prior to the first Test against West Indies. The medical staff began by playing a wait-and-see game, sending him back to Lancashire, but soon decided the problem would only be sorted by another operation.

"I have a new hunger to get back in the side and perform," Flintoff told Sport magazine this month. "When something is taken away from you and you can't play - through injury or whatever reason - you realise how much you miss it and how much you want to get back.

"I'm desperate to get back as soon as I can. I am still only 29 and I genuinely believe my best years are in front of me. A lot of batsmen don't reach their peak until their early 30s, and as a bowler I feel I'm reaching that peak, too."