Andrew Strauss says Lord's hero will need to be handled with care once the third Test begins at Edgbaston on Thursday
Andrew Strauss has warned that he will have to hold Andrew Flintoff back during the rest of the Ashes series, sparing the all-rounder the “dogsbody overs” to protect his fragile right knee.
Flintoff, whose thrilling spell propelled England to victory over Australia at Lord's, will bowl again this afternoon for the first time since then, hoping to prove his fitness for the third npower Test, which starts at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Strauss expects Flintoff to be fit, but the England captain acknowledged that his prime asset will have to be handled with care.“It's always at the back of my mind that I shouldn't bowl him if I don't have to,” Strauss told The Timesyesterday. “If he's passed fit to play, then he'll be able to perform a role for the whole game. But there will be times when it will be important to hold him back.”
Flintoff is determined to play the three remaining Ashes contests before he retires from Test cricket at the end of the series. Strauss said that Flintoff's workload will be managed to maximise his impact as England look to build on their 1-0 lead.
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“We don't want him having to bowl the dogsbody overs,” Strauss said. “It's something I'm very conscious of. When the ball's old and the wicket's flat, the other four [bowlers] can make up the overs.”
A decision on Flintoff's fitness is expected in the next 24 hours. During the drawn first Test in Cardiff, the talismanic all-rounder had felt discomfort in his knee, on which he had surgery in April. Fuelled by adrenalin, he defied the pain at Lord's in a remarkable ten-over burst and finished with five wickets in Australia's second innings.
Fears were raised about the longer-term effects of such a spell on Flintoff's knee, but Strauss is optimistic that he will be cleared to lead England's attack at Edgbaston. “All the indications are that he will be fine,” Strauss said. “So far, it doesn't look as though his knee injury has deteriorated. We need to see how he goes over the next couple of days in practice.”
Strauss warned that Flintoff may not produce such a spell again, but he is keen for the player to maintain his dominance over Australia's batsmen.
“We don't want him bowling a million overs,” Strauss said. “If he's looking threatening and he's bowling a spell that could be a turning point in the match, then clearly we'll have to hope his body can get through it.
“When Fred's firing like that he presents a twin threat to the batsmen - they can't score easily and they feel vulnerable that every ball could take a wicket.”
Strauss also confirmed that Ian Bell will bat at No 4 as a direct replacement for Kevin Pietersen, whose injured Achilles tendon has ruled him out of the rest of the series.
Bell returns for the first time since he was dropped during the tour to the West Indies in February, keen to improve upon his meagre record in Ashes Tests. He has yet to make a century in 20 innings against Australia and averages only 25.10, compared with a career mark of 40.59.
“It's the least possible disruption to the other members of the side,” Strauss said. “He has had to dig deep since he was dropped and he can clear up any misgivings that people have about his record against Australia.
“He's got a great opportunity to show everyone again what a good player he is. He can become an important member of the team now.”