Flintoff ruled out for the season

He must also be a major doubt for the Champions Trophy in India, which starts on October 7, one week before the end of Flintoff’s scheduled rehabilitation period.

And with the first Test against Australia starting in Brisbane on November 23, there are bound to be question marks against Flintoff, the star of last year’s Ashes where he scored 402 runs and took 24 wickets, being fit in time for the series England prize above all others.

The negative results of Flintoff’s consultation with a specialist were made public 24 hours before England are due to announce their squad for the second Test. The match starts on Thursday at Old Trafford, Flintoff’s home ground.

The ankle problems had already forced Flintoff to sit out a five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka, which England lost 5-0, and the first Test against Pakistan, which ended in a draw.

But he had appeared on track for a comeback at Old Trafford after playing without pain for the first three days of his county Lancashire’s match at Kent.

Yesterday however, he began to feel discomfort in the ankle after bowling prompting the ECB to send him back to the specialist.

The injury first became apparent when Flintoff was bowling during the final Test against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge nearly two months ago.

A scan revealed floating bone fragments, left over from an operation on the same ankle at the beginning of last year.

The absence of Flintoff makes it likely that Ian Bell, who was set to be axed despite scoring an unbeaten hundred at Lord’s, will retain his place in the second Test line-up and Andrew Strauss will continue as captain.

The Old Trafford pitch traditionally offers assistance to spinners but, in Flintoff’s absence, left-armer Monty Panesar is likely to be England’s lone specialist slow bowler.

However, either one of off-spin duo Alex Loudon and Jamie Dalrymple could be in contention if England do decide they need a second spinner.

Akhtar raring to go

London: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has promised to pose England’s batsmen even more of a threat than he did last year when he returns to Pakistan’s Test team.

“I still can’t set a comeback time for Pakistan, though I know the third or fourth Tests have been mentioned,” said Akhtar. “I don’t feel that is up to me because if it was, I would be playing tomorrow and running in hard again. I feel really fit and just want to bowl but, after what happened last time, I know I need to listen to my trainers. One thing is for certain and that is when I do play against England I expect to bowl faster and better than when I bowled against them in Pakistan last year.” —AFP