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Andrew Flintoff has claimed Australia could regret sending home bad-boy Andrew Symonds - and tipped England to spring a surprise in the World Twenty20.
Flintoff is recovering from knee surgery and will be missing when the tournament gets under way at Lord's this evening with England facing Holland but the decision to kick out Symonds for breaking team rules on drinking is still likely to be one of the main talking points among the crowd.
The pair played at Lancashire in 2005 and Flintoff believes the tournament will be poorer for the absence of Symonds, 33, who has been replaced by all-rounder Cameron White, 25.
"I don't know the ins and outs of it, but Symo is obviously a big loss," said Flintoff. "He was someone I got on very well with. He's a great Twenty20 player. He hits the ball miles and bowls seam and spin. To lose a player like that will have an impact.
"You also have to remember the influence he has on the team. It's sad to see someone go home, both for him and for the tournament. People want to watch the likes of Symo."
Flintoff, who insists he is on target to be 100 per cent fit for the Ashes, which start in 33 days, expects England to be dark horses at the World Twenty20.
Speaking at a promotional event for Sure Men Sport, for whom he is an ambassador, Flintoff said: "They're probably not the favourites, but there are match-winners in that side.
"Home advantage will help. Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara are dangerous with the bat and we have bowlers who are very disciplined.
"You saw Stuart Broad coming round the wicket and bowling yorkers against Scotland and there is also Dimitri Mascarenhas, so there are people who can win games. I think they will surprise a few people."
Flintoff's recovery from surgery in April on his torn meniscus is vital to England's Ashes chances and he remains upbeat that he will be in the starting line-up for the First Test in Cardiff on 8 July.
The 31-year-old all-rounder said: "I'm on target for where we thought I'd be. I started running this week, and I was back bowling, turning my arm over, in the nets on Wednesday.
"I'm training with physio Dave Roberts, who I've worked with for the past eight years, and we work well together. There have been no reactions to anything I'm doing.
"It's important to turn my arm over for my knee, but also to get the other parts of my body working again.
"When you come back, you're susceptible to niggling injuries, so a lot of the training I've been doing has been geared to trying to keep everything moving.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has already suggested that Flintoff is not the same force if he is not fully fit, but 'Freddie' insisted: "Is it realistic to expect me to be 100 per cent fit for the first Ashes Test? Yes.
"There's no other option. You can worry about it or you can just do it. Between now the Ashes, Lancashire have four first-class matches, as well as four Twenty20 Cup games and a Friends Provident Trophy semi-final.
"There is also a warm-up game for England against Warwickshire before the Ashes starts. I want to play in as many of those games as I can."
* Flintoff is an ambassador for Sure Men Sport, which provides unbeatable protection. Visit www.suremen.co.uk to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to The Ashes every 24 hours
