London, August 24: Set to undergo surgery on his injured right knee tomorrow, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been withdrawn from England`s squad for the one-day series against Australia and next month`s Champions Trophy.
“Andrew Flintoff has been withdrawn from England`s squad for the one-day international in Ireland, the Twenty20s and the ODI Series against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.
The Lancashire all-rounder, who bid adieu to Test cricket at the end of the 2-1 Ashes series win over Australia yesterday, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee tomorrow.
There is speculation that the surgery could rule him out of the remainder of this year. However, the ECB remained tight-lipped on how long it would take for Flintoff to recover.
“A further update on the outcome of the operation and the likely timescale for rehabilitation will be released in due course,” the ECB statement said.
The selectors have not yet decided on Flintoff`s replacement in the squads for the Twenty20s and the ODIs against Australia.
Jonathan Trott, who was last week named in England`s squad for the Twenty20 Internationals against Australia, has been added to the side for the ODI against Ireland.
“A decision on a replacement for Flintoff in the ICC Champions Trophy squad will be announced in due course,” the ECB said.
England one-day squad (for the NatWest Series against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy): Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright
England squad for one-day international v Ireland (in Belfast on Thursday August 27): Paul Collingwood (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright.
England squad for the Twenty20 Internationals v Australia: Paul Collingwood (captain), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright.
—Agencies