Ponting: You can see there is something seriously wrong with Freddie

Flintoff made a belligerent top score of 31 against Australia and managed to complete his four-over stint at Newlands — Ponting becoming his first victim in international Twenty20 cricket — as he followed up three overs in England's victory over Zimbabwe the previous day with one for 25.

But he appeared in such distress at the end of his spell that his former Lancashire coach, David Lloyd, commented on television: 'Something's not right. He's nearly broken down.'

The all-rounder received a cortisone injection 10 days ago to enable him to play a key role in the deciding match of the NatWest Series against India at Lord's. He is taking painkillers out here to get through day by day, and his participation in the one-day tour to Sri Lanka looks increasingly unlikely.

Coach Peter Moores yesterday praised Flintoff's courage, saying: 'All credit to Fred for getting stuck in.' However, he added: 'If at any stage we thought playing him would make things worse, he wouldn't.'

And the final decision on his involvement in his third Twenty20 match in four days, against South Africa at Newlands, will be made only shortly before the start this evening.

The award of a central contract this week underlines England's hope and belief that, with careful management of a left ankle that has endured three operations and a remodelling of his action to ease the strain, Flintoff remains a viable proposition, at least in short forms of the game.

But for Test cricket, bowling coach Allan Donald sent a shockwave through the camp upon their arrival here when he said: 'My head tells me that I don't think he can regain his form in the longer game.'

Ponting's words suggest Donald is not alone in his thinking. 'He's such a big player for England,' said the Australia captain. 'He's the one they always go to when their backs are to the wall, or there is a sniff of a game on the line. If he can't deliver the way he used to, that is a big concern for their team.

'It would be really disappointing if he doesn't get back to playing the way he can. Do I get the impression he looks down about it? Absolutely, you would.

'If you can't come out and play to full capacity, you're just willing yourself to do it. But if the body won't let you, I'd imagine that would be pretty disappointing.

'If you keep putting yourself through it, knowing that you can't keep doing it, it's a bit like when people come to end of their careers, battling through games when they're not the player they used to be. You sort of start to feel a bit sorry for them.

'I'm not saying that's where Freddie is. Hopefully he gets himself right again.

'In 2005 his bowling was unbelievable, some of the best fast-bowling our guys have ever come up against.

'That was probably the best cricket he's played and every Australian would love to be able to play against him in that form. But I've been surprised that he seemed to be rushed back into the team a lot in the past couple of years, particularly when they've played home Tests in England.

'I don't know what his ankle is like, but when he has come back it looks like he has aggravated it again early on, which probably indicates he may not have been 100 per cent right and ready to go.

'He is such a key player that there may be a tendency to get him on the field as soon as you can, but you have got to look long term.

'England are talking about managing him properly.Maybe it has got to the stage where he needs six months completely away from the game to get his ankle looked after, his fitness back and see if he comes back from that.'