Flintoff to miss one-day series to concentrate on getting fit

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The 29-year-old all-rounder struggled through the end of the summer's NatWest series against India and England's five matches in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa, often wincing in pain when he was bowling.

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Fitness fight: Andrew Flintoff

But after their exit from the tournament yesterday, England have decided to fly the Lancashire player back home for further strengthening work on his troublesome left ankle, which was operated on for the third time this summer.

His place in the squad for the five-match series in Sri Lanka will be taken by Hampshire's Chris Tremlett, who impressed in the recent series win over India. England will make a decision on Flintoff's availability for the Test series in Sri Lanka, which starts in December, after monitoring his progress over the coming weeks.

"This in an on-going process. We needed to test out how the ankle was and this tournament was ideal because he could only bowl four overs a match," said England coach Peter Moores.

"Now he will go back to England for strengthening work and we will see where we go from there."

England have also announced 38-year-old Durham seamer Ottis Gibson will join them as specialist bowling coach for the forthcoming one-day and Test series in Sri Lanka. Current bowling coach Allan Donald, who is still in negotiations with the England and Wales Cricket Board over a permanent contract, informed coach Peter Moores of his unavailability for the two trips to Sri Lanka earlier this summer.

Donald has television commitments in South Africa before Christmas, which has opened up an opportunity for Gibson who has been strongly linked the coaching vacancy with West Indies.

"We always knew he wasn't going to be able to do this part of it because he's got commitments in South Africa," explained Moores, who hired Donald at the start of the summer after taking over as coach.

"He's got quite a tough decision because he's got a young family and he's obviously already done the international circuit once as a player and he has to decide whether he wants to go down that route again."

Donald is also believed to be a contender to join Ashley Giles' new coaching team for Warwickshire at Edgbaston, which would involve far less travel.