Freddie - Fit and ready

Lancs all-rounder looking to complete his England comeback in style

Last updated: 30th June 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Freddie - Fit and ready

Flintoff: Getting back to his best

We've got to create some new history and I think we've got the team to do that. I think the two teams are evenly matched and it's going to make for some compelling viewing.

Andrew Flintoff
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Andrew Flintoff is ready to make his comeback for England on Wednesday, confident he can help "enhance" an already developing side.

The burly all-rounder has not played for his country since April, having undergone surgery on a knee injury sustained during the Indian Premier League.

He returned to action for Lancashire at the start of June, though, and has shown good form with both bat and ball since.

A match-winning knock of 93 from just 41 balls - the highest score by a player batting at five in the history of the Twenty20 Cup - against Derbyshire highlighted exactly what he is capable of and the 31-year-old cannot wait to play for England again.

Motivation

"When you get injured and you do the rehab, the reason you do it is to play for England again and hopefully I'm going to get that chance," he told Sky Sports News.

"I've had a good three weeks with Lancashire, got some overs under my belt and managed to score some runs. Unfortunately we only won one game out of them, but I'm back with the lads and back in the camp and it's what I enjoy.

"I'm confident I can score runs. The bowling takes care of itself and the batting is just a case of getting a chance.

"Peter Moores and Glen Chapple let me bat number three in a championship game, which paid dividends. I managed to get a few runs, felt comfortable at the crease and took that form into Derby last week. I'm fully fit and ready to go.

"Since I've been absent the England team have performed well and won Test matches. I hope I can enhance that and perform if, and when, I'm needed."

History

England are looking to reclaim the Ashes they so sensationally claimed on home turf in 2005 and then lost so disappointingly 5-0 away in Australia in a series which started just 15 months later.

Flintoff is not keen on going over old ground again, though, and believes Andrew Strauss' England side can write their own name into the record books, with victory against the old enemy this summer.

"Everyone goes into the past with 2005 and 2006/07 and we've got to move on from that," Flintoff added.

"You've got two sides that are very, very different. We've got some young lads coming through, so rather than looking back I think we've got to look forward.

"We've got to create some new history and I think we've got the team to do that. I think the two teams are evenly matched and it's going to make for some compelling viewing."

Flintoff was speaking at Edgbaston ahead of England's warm-up match against Warwickshire from Wednesday.