England set for further life without Freddie

LEEDS: England's pace bowlers will be given another chance to prove they can function without 'Freddie' after all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies starting at Headingley here on Thursday.

Officials, doubtless conscious of the need to look after the long-term health of their star player, decided against bringing paceman Flintoff back for the second match of a four-Test series after he missed the drawn series opener at Lord's with a recurrence of his longstanding left ankle problem.

A few overs in the nets at Headingley on Wednesday were all it needed for the England management to pull the plug on thoughts of Lancashire's Flintoff appearing at arch-rivals Yorkshire's headquarters, even though they would originally planned om giving him a two-day trial.

"It was deemed that Andrew's ankle did not demonstrate sufficient improvement after his first bowling session today (Wednesday)," said an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement, "and in order to allow the ankle to rehabilitate effectively and continue to improve it was felt the best decision was to rule him out now without a further assessment tomorrow (Thursday)."

The statement added, "Andrew will leave the England squad tonight (Wednesday) and return to Lancashire where he will continue to undergo rehabilitation and revue.

"He will only begin to bowl at an appropriate stage and any participation in Lancashire's forthcoming county matches will be made in due course."

Without Flintoff, England opted for a four-man as opposed to their favoured five-man, attack at Lord's and then found themselves a bowler light when Matthew Hoggard went off injured in his 11th over with a thigh problem and didn't return.

However, Flintoff's absence means England have been spared the potentially awkward problem of dropping either Paul Collingwood or Ian Bell, both of whom scored hundreds at Lord's, in order to fit in the same team both returning captain and batsman Michael Vaughan, fit after a broken finger, and 'Freddie'.

Now it lookes as if Vaughan, who hasn't played a Test for 18 months, will come in for Owais Shah.

But that still leaves England to find a replacement for Hoggard with left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, looking for a second Test cap six years after his first.

Like his father Arnie, who appeared during the 1985 Ashes, Sidebottom junior is a member of the one-Test wonders' club, having played during England's victory against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001.

Sidebottom, now at Nottinghamshire after starting his career with Yorkshire, was largely ignored for the remainder of Duncan Fletcher's time as England coach, but has been given a fresh chance by new coach Peter Moores having since taken 221 first-class victims at 25 apiece.

The 29-year-old, whose inclusion would add much needed variety, will now be competing for a place alongside James Anderson and Liam Plunkett, misfiring spearhead fast bowler Stephen Harmison all but assured of his place on account of his extra speed despite a wayard display at Lord's.

England badly need at least one of their quicks to back up Monty Panesar, whose six wickets in the first Test were yet another example of his priceless ability to attack and be economical at the same time.

West Indies, who only had two days of match practice in England before the first Test, will be a better side now as they look to end a run of seven years without an away Test win against major opposition.

Their Australian coach, David Moore, is unlikely to make many changes but Fidel Edwards could liven up the attack.

"The key is our consistency and ability to back up a good performance in Test after Test," said Moore.