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Flintoff doubtful for first Test

Andrew Flintoff is doubtful of being fit for the first Test against Pakistan beginning July 13 at Lord's, with recurring pain in his injured left ankle

Cricinfo staff
29-Jun-2006


'I am not running at the moment, I am doing a lot of cycling...doing things that don't cause pain' said Flintoff, who is likely to sit out the first Test against Pakistan © Getty Images
Andrew Flintoff is doubtful of being fit for the first Test against Pakistan beginning July 13 at Lord's, with recurring pain in his injured left ankle.
Flintoff had been out of the one-day series against Sri Lanka and specialists feel that there might be floating bone particles in the ankle that are causing the pain.
"There is scar tissue in there and whether the bone fragments were the result of the operation or were already in there, we don't know," Flintoff told Sky Sports. "We will have another look in two weeks and see where we are."
Though unlikely to play the first Test, Flintoff was optimistic about recovery. "I am not running at the moment, I am doing a lot of cycling. I am doing things that don't cause pain and trying to tick over.
"We are going down the route of physio and exercises to strengthen the ligaments around the ankle. We will have another look in two weeks and see where we are."
England will play four Tests and five one-day internationals against Pakistan. They are 4-0 down to Sri Lanka in the ongoing one-day series, with a last match to be played on July 1.