Flintoff: not ready to return

Flintoff needs more miles on the clock and to prove he can withstand the rigours of the five-day game before being considered for the England Test side. It's not just that ankle either, it's the side strain as well.

Michael Atherton
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There is no place for Andrew Flintoff in the squad for South Africa, but that was to be expected really.

The selectors have given enough clues in recent weeks and having been down at Hove for Lancashire's game with Sussex, I didn't see one of them in the stands.

It was live on Sky Sports of course, but the fact that they weren't in attendance suggests the decision was already made.

And I do think it's the right decision. Flintoff's ankle does seem fine and stood up well at Hove, but that was his only four-day game in five weeks since the lay-off.

He needs more miles on the clock and to prove he can withstand the rigours of the five-day game before being considered for the England Test side. It's not just that ankle either, it's the side strain as well.

Flintoff needs to make sure he's toughened up, match-hardened if you like and although it is irrelevant in the scheme of Test cricket, the ICC Champions Trophy in September, will be perfect for him.

I didn't - and I don't think anyone else did - expect any changes from the New Zealand series, but there will be one or two walking out at Lord's next Thursday looking over their shoulders a little.

The two who really spring to mind are Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood. They will be under particular pressure because Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara keep scoring runs and that England middle order hasn't been firing.

Experienced

They are both experienced cricketers and have been part of a winning England side, which will stand them in good stead.

They have been around long enough that the transition from the one-day game - where they were symptomatic of England's failings - should be no problem whatsoever.

It shouldn't be hard getting their heads around the switch to batting for long periods of time after playing aggressively. England will have three full days to prepare for this is as well, so there can be no excuses.

There were some suggestions that the wicket-keeping spot might have brought a change, but I think Tim Ambrose has done alright so far and now has a full Test series and a full-one day series under his belt.

Chris Tremlett will be the one to miss out of the 12 and in naming the same side for six Tests in a row England will set a new record. You have to go back to 1884 to find the last time they fielded the same side for five in row, so this is something new.

That is because they have been winning. Not convincingly, but winning nonetheless.

I wouldn't get too carried away though, because England have come up against a pretty mediocre New Zealand side in their last six matches. They have done alright, nothing more.

Challenge

And they will certainly be given a thorough test by this South Africa side.

First and foremost they have genuine pace in their attack, something New Zealand don't. Secondly they have batsmen who are capable of scoring big Test match hundreds, like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.

Thirdly they are a much, much tougher side. When England push South Africa, they are not going to fall down as readily as New Zealand did. South Africa are simply a much tougher challenge altogether.

England were pretty awful in the one-dayers, I have to say, and as decent a side as the Kiwis are, they are no world-beaters and England should be beating them at home.

Yet they could have lost 4-1 in the end and it was frustrating for all involved.

But there shouldn't be a hangover going into the five-day game. Michael Vaughan was not involved of course and having separate captains does help, but when it comes to Tests, England are a far more settled and confident outfit.