As expected Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of Friday’s 4th test at Headingley. Flintoff bowled a session in the nets yesterday morning wearing a knee brace and looked visably slower as he seemed unable to generate any pace.
It was the 1st time he had bowled since he looked well off the pace on Monday at Edgbaston. Afterwards captain Andrew Strauss would only admit that he hadn’t bowled 100% claiming bowlers sometimes don’t bowl flat out the day before a test.
Considering Flintoff needed to use the session to show that he was fit, Strauss’ comments needed to be taken with a large pinch of salt. He admitted that it depended on how Flintoff felt when he woke on Friday morning, so too not of bowled flat out the day before shows the writing was on the wall already.
How England decide the make up of the team to replace Flintoff could go a long way to telling us the England managements mindset. If they pick Jonathon Trott it could suggest a negative tactic that could give the Aussie a mental boost.
This now means that England have lost both of their big name players with Kevin Pietersen already ruled out for the remaining last two tests.
