Flintoff told not to risk career

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Sources at Lancashire believe Flintoff, 30, could miss a second successive summer of international cricket before he is considered fully fit to bowl at the 90mph pace that made him one of the world's best.

Off the pace: Sources at Lancashire say it may be a year before Andrew Flintoff has recovered fully from a fourth ankle injury

England's chief medical officer Nick Pierce has indicated there are no pressures or time limits from Lord's for Flintoff's return as an all-rounder.

That means his comeback from a fourth ankle operation could be delayed until England's Test tours to India and West Indies next winter, which follows their appearance in the ICC Champions Trophy, currently scheduled to be in Pakistan next September and October.

Heavy caution prevails in the Flintoff camp, despite Friday's announcement that he is in line to make his return as a batsman only on the England Lions tour to India later this month.

"There is no pressure on Freddie to make his comeback for the home series against New Zealand next summer," said the Lancashire source. "There is time to get this right and whatever it takes, Freddie will be given every opportunity to recover fully from surgery.

"He has had four operations. This is the crunch. If he gets through the summer bowling for Lancashire, that is all we can ask. Lancashire are not calling it luxury, but his body will be given all the time necessary to recover from surgery and get it right.

"Freddie is mad keen to play cricket again. There is no risk him going on the Lions tour as a batsman only. His two months in Florida, where his operation settled down and he concentrated on conditioning work, have gone well. There have been no signs of any adverse reaction to the surgery, but he is taking no chances.

"He has worked his heart out. Nobody knows at this stage whether he can bowl again. He won't know the answer to that before the middle of next summer. Freddie will need to bowl for a long time for Lancashire before he, and everyone else, can breathe a sigh of relief."

Flintoff returned from Florida and expressed a desire to join the England second string — purely as a batsman — on a tour in which he is expected to play in the Duleep Trophy.

He plans to travel with Lancashire for pre-season preparation in Dubai, but he has been written out of the senior England script, probably until England board their plane for India in 10 months' time.