Flintoff out of West Indies series, OK for Ashes

CRICKET: LONDON, April 25, 2009: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to undergo surgery on his right knee, ruling him out of the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies.

Flintoff has returned from South Africa, where he was playing in the Indian Premier League, to undergo the surgery but England cricket chiefs expressed confidence that their star player would recover in time for the World Twenty20 in June and the Ashes series starting in July.

That will be greeted with scepticism in some quarters however, given Flintoff's long history of injuries.

And the fact that Flintoff suffered the injury while playing in the IPL will inevitably spark debate about whether a player with his injury record should have been taking part in the competition rather than concentrating on preparing for England's summer Tests.

The Lancashire star, England's outstanding performer in their 2005 Ashes win over Australia, tore the meniscus in his right knee while playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

Scans at a Durban hospital detected a slight medial meniscal tear and after they were viewed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)'s medical supremo Nick Peirce, it was decided that Flintoff should return to London.

He will undergo a keyhole operation early next week and Peirce put the recovery period at three to five weeks.

Peirce said: "Clearly this is a huge disappointment for both the player and the IPL team. This sort of degenerative injury though is one that could have happened at any time anywhere.

"The procedures we put in place meant that the ECB medical staff were alerted about the problem immediately and we thank Chennai for their cooperation."

Hugh Morris, England Cricket Managing Director, added: "Andrew has been extremely unlucky with injuries but if there is one saving grace it is that the injury has occurred now rather than on the eve of either the World Twenty20 or the Ashes.

AFP