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Flintoff confident ahead of Ashes

Andrew Flintoff is willing to cope with lasting pain in his left ankle if it means he can continue playing cricket and have a chance of leading England in Australia.

Cricinfo staff
24-Aug-2006


Andrew Flintoff: 'There is a possibility that the ankle will give me problems for the remainder of my career' © Getty Images
Andrew Flintoff is willing to cope with lasting pain in his left ankle if it means he can continue playing cricket and have a chance of leading England in Australia. He is confident of being fit for the Ashes but realistic enough to know he may never be pain-free.
In an interview ahead of his benefit match at Old Trafford, Flintoff told the Manchester Evening News: "I've been told that the stress on my left ankle when I make that final delivery stride is equal to eight times my body weight so perhaps it's not surprising that there has been some wear and tear to that joint down the years.
"There is a possibility that the ankle will give me problems for the remainder of my career and that I'll have to continue with my rehab programme until I retire from the game. If that's the case then I'll just have to grin and bear it. That would be a small price to pay for continuing to play cricket for a living."
Flintoff had two operations in just over 12 months on his ankle, the second coming after an aborted attempt at a comeback in July. He'd felt pain at the end of the Test series against Sri Lanka, but the decision was for him to rest instead of immediate surgery.
However, after playing for Lancashire in two Twenty20 matches he broke down during his Championship comeback against Kent, at Canterbury, before the Test series against Pakistan.
Despite the setbacks, Flintoff has full confidence in his medical team. "I've got absolute faith in my physio Dave Roberts and the specialist who performed the latest operation on my ankle.
"It was they who devised my rehabilitation programme and I have complete confidence that if I follow their guidelines to the letter I will be fully fit for the Ashes series. I can start running again early next month and that will be a big step on the road back."
On the issue of the England captaincy, Flintoff says he would jump at the chance to lead the Ashes defence but admitted Andrew Strauss had made some strong claims against Pakistan. "I wouldn't say I expect to be England's captain when we defend the Ashes in Australia because I never take anything for granted, but I would be more than happy to take on the job again if I was offered it.
"Andrew Strauss has done a great job during the series against Pakistan and he will be a major influence in Australia whether or not he's the captain because he's a good man to turn to for advice when things aren't going as well as you would like."