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Do not rush Flintoff, says Botham

category: Cricket

08.05.2008 17:52

England legend Sir Ian Botham says Andrew Flintoff should not be rushed back into the national side.

The squad for next Thursday's first Test against New Zealand is named on Sunday and the 30-year-old all-rounder has been tipped to return to the fold.

Flintoff has bowled well after a fourth ankle operation last October but Botham has warned against a speedy return.

"I would just hold Fred back a bit. I'd like him to play a bit more county cricket," he told BBC Sport.

"I'd like him to have plenty of overs under his belt and plenty of runs as a batsman come the South Africans (later in the summer), because I think that will be a much sterner test.

"I'd just like him to be given that time to get his confidence back; full confidence in his body and more importantly in that ankle.



"England do need him but they need a fit Fred.

"But he also knows this is really make or break time because he's 30-years-old and he's had four ops on it, so it's got to be right."

Flintoff, who had the operation on his left ankle in October, has not played a Test match since the Ashes whitewash in Australia in January 2007.

Meanwhile, former England opener Geoffrey Boycott will not be joining the England coaching set-up to help Flintoff with his batting.

Flintoff has struggled with the bat this season and his last two innings have seen him dismissed first ball for golden ducks.

Boycott, 67, had been linked with a part-time coaching role with England's senior squad but English cricket chiefs said informal talks with the former opener had actually been held with a view to him helping younger age groups.

"We use Nasser Hussain to talk to age-group teams and that is what we envisage other former players doing," said an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman.

Flintoff is a known admirer of the Yorkshire legend and has used Boycott's expertise in the past but the ECB insisted any extension of that relationship would be in an unofficial capacity.

Original text is here

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