England delay Flintoff decision

LONDON: England are to wait until the morning of the first Test against West Indies before deciding if all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is fit to play at Lord's.   

Flintoff has been doubtful for the first Test, which starts on Thursday, after suffering discomfort on his left ankle, operated on twice over the last three years, during Lancashire's drawn championship match with Hampshire over the weekend. The Lancashire quick did bowl during practice at Lord's on Wednesday.   

But afterwards new England coach Peter Moores said it was still too soon to say if Flintoff would be fit for the first Test of a four-match series.   

"He's bowled today, two short spells. His ankle is still sore and we are going to have to wait and see," Moores told reporters at Lord's.   

"We would like to know definitely today but we don't so we are going to have wait and see where we are in the morning."   

Asked if he was concerned by the recurrence of Flintoff's ankle problem, Moores said: "You can't control injuries. I've coached for eight years at Sussex, you get injuries.   

"You've got to be fair to the player and you've got to be fair to the team. You've got to take both things into consideration. It seems to be getting better. But if he's not fit, he's not fit.   

"Maybe the Test match might come a bit too soon, we don't really know at the moment," the former Sussex wicket-keeper added. "What we don't want to do is carry injured men into a game of cricket".   

However, the new England coach said that with Flintoff, set for another heavy workload throughout the season, it was important management took a long-term view of his injury.   

"We know he's had ankle problems before. We've got a good medical team and they are doing everything they can to check. We wouldn't play him if we thought it was going to get worse.   

"If it's a wear and tear job then we've got to manage it as we go along. It would be daft of me to predict the future, we've got to plan it. But we don't take one Test match as one Test match. He's an important player for the team, a huge player.   

"We don't want to give painkilling injections to mask things."   

If Flintoff does not regain fitness, Moores said batsman Owais Shah - drafted in as cover for Kevin Pietersen, who has a calf injury - could be called into the starting XI with England fielding a four-man attack.   

"If he, doesn't play, we are more likely to be playing a batter," Moores said.   

England, who will be captained by Andrew Strauss after regular skipper Michael Vaughan was forced out with a finger injury called up Flintoff's fellow Lancashire quick James Anderson into their squad on Wednesday.   

Anderson will come down to London after playing in Wednesday's morning session of Lancashire's County Championship fixture against Worcestershire at Old Trafford. He will return to Manchester if not required by England.   

Anderson's call-up is part of a scheme introduced by Moores to have a standby player join the squad the night before each Test to provide additional options. The player will be released if not required.