Flintoff's surgery successful

Andrew Flintoff successfully underwent surgery on his injured left ankle yesterday and was advised he will need to undergo a rehabilitation period of 12 weeks. The surgery involved the removal of scar tissue surrounding a tendon at the back of the ankle which had been causing him discomfort when bowling. Flintoff hasn't turned out for England since early June at Nottingham and has been ruled out for the rest of the summer.

The England and Lancashire medical teams have agreed that Dave Roberts, the Lancashire physiotherapist, will again deliver Flintoff's day-to-day rehabilitation programme. At key points of the rehabilitation process, England and Lancashire medical staff will meet to review the progress made and plan the next stages.

Flintoff might just gain match practice with some grade cricket in Australia before the start of the Ashes tour. Flintoff had been on course to return for the ongoing Old Trafford Test but he broke down during Lancashire's Championship match against Kent last Friday. After further consultations with a specialist last Saturday, it was confirmed that Flintoff's only course of action was further surgery on the the ankle which was operated on in January last year.