London, July 21: His body may be struggling to cope with age and injuries, but talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is determined to lead England to Ashes glory before bidding adieu to Test cricket at the end of the ongoing series.
”I said before this Test that I want to play in the last four and there’s still three to go,’ he said. ‘I’ll do anything to get out on the field for the rest of this series. It’s not my intention to bow out at Lord’s. I want to be in an Ashes-winning team at the last Test, standing on the podium,” Flintoff said.
”I’m confident. I’ll do anything to get through these next three Tests. I’ve probably done better than just get through this one. I bowled a lot of overs, my pace has been up, and I felt good apart from a few twinges,” he added.
The all-rounder, however, did admit that his body is far from a 100 per cent and he felt a few niggles during the second Test.
”There are a couple of twinges in the knee however its encouraging that I can run in and bowl the amount of overs that I have bowled. We’ve got three more Test matches. I want to play a major part in them and a major part in the team’s success.
”Yesterday (Sunday) I got a couple of twinges and they went away, which is encouraging. Speaking to the medical staff, they’re not going to put me in positions that I shouldn’t be in,” the right-armer, who scalped five wickets in the second innings to propel England to a 115-run win against Australia in the second Ashes Test yesterday.
But the 31-year-old was not too worried by the prospect of battling through pain while pushing his battered body through the rest of the series. ”I was in a bit of discomfort but I’ve played most of my career in discomfort, so that’s nothing new. I’ve felt good apart from a couple of little twinges in the knee. I’ll rest up this week, get back up north and prepare for a Test match at Edgbaston,” Flintoff said.
”To be the last name up there in an Ashes series, in my last Test here, means a hell of a lot. I feel like I’m getting better as a bowler – it’s just unfortunate I’m having to do what I’m doing with the way the body’s standing up,” he was quoted as saying by the ‘Daily Mail’.
—Agencies