England blow as Freddie not ready

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Flintoff's defection on Wednesday night was a surprise turn of events after the all-rounder had apparently come through a short bowling session with no immediate ill-effects at Headingley.

But within three hours it was announced his problem left ankle is still too sore for him to bowl in the second Test against West Indies, which starts on Friday. Sidebottom may therefore appeal to England as their safest option in a three-man pace attack, with either James Anderson or Liam Plunkett missing out.

Flintoff, who underwent surgery on his ankle last summer and then missed the drawn first Test at Lord's after aggravating the old injury, had been named in the 13-man party for Leeds.

But Wednesday night's England statement read: "Following a fitness assessment late this afternoon, Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the forthcoming second npower Test due to an ongoing ankle injury.

"It was deemed that Andrew's ankle did not demonstrate sufficient improvement after his first bowling session on Wednesday and, in order to allow the ankle to rehabilitate effectively and continue to improve, it was felt the best decision was to rule him out now without a further assessment on Thursday."

For Sidebottom, it may be that opportunity is about to knock again.

The Nottinghamshire and former Yorkshire left-arm pace bowler had his only previous Test experience against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001.

But the mediocre form of Durham pair Steve Harmison and Plunkett at Lord's, along with Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard's unavailability through injury, puts Sidebottom in the frame for a belated England return.