Flintoff returns for Lanashire against Surrey:16-19 April.

[greg]

The main worry i would have with Flintoff as part of a 4 man attack is workload as he obviously can't bowl too much these days and if you overbowl him again his career will probably be over.

I will say it again,i don't want him in the side for the New Zealand series,let him gain form with bat and ball playing for Lancashire and bring him back for South Africa.We surely have enough without him to beat them over here in May even with a 4 man attack of Sidebottom,Hoggard,Broad and Panesar.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by greg

The main worry i would have with Flintoff as part of a 4 man attack is workload as he obviously can't bowl too much these days[...]We surely have enough without him to beat them over here in May even with a 4 man attack of Sidebottom,Hoggard,Broad and Panesar.

Well you probably have a point about New Zealand. However the weak part of that argument is that Flintoff should not have to bowl many over in that series in any case.

Sooner or later he will have to make an England comeback, and I suggest that he is not readt for the SA searies, then he never will be.

As for his batting, only time spent at the wicket will sort that, be it with Lancashire or England.

[flanflinger]

I am with Greg..as you probably guessed for two reasons

1. If Flintoff comes back it has to be as an all-rounder - with him batting in the top 6. He has been out for almost a year because of being over-bowled. If he is part of a four man attack, that will happen again
2. Flintoff is better when all the parts of his game are functioning, that means he needs to be batting as well as he can be. There is no point trying to get a guy to find form in a Test match series, we have tried that before, and it just doesn't work- better that he gets his form back for Lancashire and then comes into the team at 6 again

The fact is that Flintoff if playing at 7 or 8 will just try to smash the ball around, and probably fail. I do not think missing the Kiwi series will do him any harm, and may help him in the long run get back to the status as most complete all-rounder in world cricket, which is what, I am sure, we all want.

[Collyisamackem]

Just to poke the fire a little, Freddie was dismissed first ball by Mark Davies at Old Trafford today. I was hoping we'd dismiss Lancs cheaply but that Fred would top score or at least show some beginnings of form. Still, there's the second innings, but he needs to build up batting form so I wouldn't pick him for the first test and probably not the whole NZ tour, unless he turns in some batting performances. See how he's doing ahead of the SA series.

Mind, Mark Davies just has to stay match fit and he must be looked at by England one day, 6 for 14 at the moment as Lancs are 93/7...Ottis who?

[Statto]

Now 7-24 and lancs 102-8. What is it with medium pacers today, Tomlinson for Hampshire has just taken 8-46 as well. Looking out of the window it looks like a fantastic day to be batting on.

[Collyisamackem]

Agreed on that Statto, Chester is boiling and there's not a cloud to be seen...Manchester's only 40 miles away and you're much closer so I'll assume the perennial cloud inside the M60 is absent today! Still, I'm not complaining that Davies is doing well, especially picking up Loye, Law, Yousuf, Flintoff, Sutton, Hogg in the space of about 15 runs! .

[greg]

I think Davies chance for England has gone as he is too injury prone,he obviously has talent but he would be a massive risk to take on a tour given his abysmal fitness record.Good to see my tip for the title doing well though.

What happens now with Flintoff?

Can we pick an all rounder who can't score a run?

[Statto]

I'm not actually closer, I'm in Bath, but that isn't too far from Taunton where Somerset were shot out for 120. I've always rated Davies, but I don't think he's someone who should run through batting lineups like that without either very favourable conditions or pretty negligent batting.

[Collyisamackem]

Maybe not, but nearly 200 first class wickets at 22 apiece is surely a bit better than 'helpful conditions and negligent batting'...? Or why was Sidebottom picked? Even a game for the Lions, or a tour match for Durham would be an opportunity.

Fred's bowling now, I hope he performs and Anderson has a decent day but Mahmood, Hogg and Keedy get carted!

[Statto]

36/4. Might be helpful conditions anyway. My point was that at the speed he bowls, about 72-77mph ish, the international end of that lineup should be able to negotiate his bowling, however accurate he is. If he had a fully functioning back I expect he would have played for England, but as Greg said his chance has probably gone with his injuries. I have never disputed that he is a good bowler, and fought a lone battle to get him in one of our A-Team sides (and won), but I still feel that at the top end of our national game people should be able to negotiate bowling at that speed, even by just pushing it back if his accuracy is that good, and to remove batsmen of the cailbre of Yousef, Law etc, should need some assistance.