Former England captain Mike Atherton today warned England selectors they would be taking a massive risk if they decided to bring back Andrew Flintoff for the First Test against New Zealand.

Atherton believes it's too early for a long-awaited Test return at Lord's next week, and said: "For his own sake, and for the good of the game, he should not be picked - at least not yet. Since the Ashes series of 2005 Flintoff has played 14 Test matches and has not scored a hundred or taken a five-for.

"Supporters do not deal in figures. They deal in myths and memories and the hope of a better future. They hanker after a return to the glory that was the Ashes 2005. But Flintoff 's finest hour was three years ago and since then there has been plenty that even his biggest fans may want to forget: the injuries, the drinking, the humiliation in Australia, the pedalo and the patchy form.

"Flintoff 's bowling is rock solid but his batting is flaky and he needs matches and runs under his belt before he takes Test-match examinations again.

"Why the rush? Why not let Flintoff continue to bowl for Lancashire so he can build confidence in his body and try to find some batting form before the tougher questions that South Africa will ask in the second half of the summer."

In his column for The Times, Atherton says Flintoff has been part of a five-man Lancashire bowling attack but if he is picked for England he will be one of four bowlers and will be expected to put in more work, which could put him at risk following his ankle injury. He said: "We do not want to see a thoroughbred turning into a hobbling carthorse again, knacker's yard looming."

What can be discounted, surely, is Flintoff reclaiming his No6 spot next week. In order for that to happen, England would have to drop one of the batsmen who finally came good in New Zealand two months ago and replace him with someone who, after yesterday's second consecutive first-ball duck in the county championship, has scored only 68 runs in six innings this season.

But such has been the accuracy, hostility and sheer pace of Flintoff 's bowling for Lancashire, he will be considered as a No 7 or even No 8. A frontline paceman, in other words.

Considering that last October the 30-year-old underwent a fourth operation on his left ankle and did not start bowling again until March, his rate of progress has been spectacularly encouraging. Batsman after batsman has reported that the 'old Fred' - the bloke who terrorised Australia through that summer of 2005 - is back, hitting the splice hard when he isn't beating, or finding, the outside edge.

So what now? Do England selectors rub their hands in glee and pick Flintoff for Lord's when they meet this weekend? Or do they heed Atherton's words and leave well alone?

"If you think you can leave him out of any England side when he's fit you're kidding yourself," insisted Flintoff 's county captain Stuart Law. Yet Flintoff - after taking four for 21 yesterday in a championship meeting with Durham - has still only bowled 84 overs on ankle which let him down before after a heavy Test workload. "All our discussions about individuals will be behind closed doors," said selectors chairman Geoff Miller, who is refusing to drop any hints before his meeting with fellow selectors Peter Moores, James Whitaker and Ashley Giles.

Captain Michael Vaughan has not been quite so tight lipped, saying: "I'm looking at Flintoff at seven and four bowlers." Maybe, though, he is looking with the summer's second, and bigger, Test series against South Africa in mind.

England have just beaten New Zealand, away from home, and should do so again here more comfortably than the March margin of 2-1, whether or not Flintoff plays.

The odds probably favour a safety first approach at this stage of the summer.