If 10 were to become 13 before then however the only doubts would exist

If 10 were to become 13 before then, however, the only doubts would exist over the margin of Australia’s victory in South Africa.The obvious need for Flintoff to be in the side has not persuaded the England coach, Duncan Fletcher, to rush him back. Flintoff has striven for fitness back in Lancashire after leaving the tour before Christmas, he has flown halfway round the world to be with his team-mates and he has now been told he is to play two games for the National Academy. He has been ruled out of consideration for the VB Series.”Tongue in cheek, what if something went wrong, what would you guys say,” said Fletcher when asked yesterday about the imminence of Flintoff’s selection. “You fly him out, he’s recovering from a serious injury, he’s still acclimatising, he hasn’t played cricket since August and suddenly to expect him to be ready to play in a final of a one-day series is asking a lot of someone.”Fletcher is confident that the two Academy games in Australia and two warm-up games in South Africa before the World Cup, plus plenty of time for practice, will be sufficient for his most valuable all-rounder.His other concerns are Ashley Giles and Craig White. Giles also arrived to rejoin the squad last week after his broken wrist mended, and while he did not give cause for the same warm glow that Flintoff engendered, his value to this squad as a calm and increasingly mean bowler is still important.

He will play one of the Academy matches.There is no expectation that White will be fit before the team go to South Africa. If he and his side strain fail to come through the first warm-up match, England will seek a replacement. In which case they may regret having given Adam Hollioake so little opportunity this past month.Stephen Harmison, who injured an ankle in Friday’s match, is not as badly hurt as first feared. It is debatable whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, considering his propensity for delivering wides. In 19 overs in the last three games he has sent down 23 of them.With justification, England still see him as the man to take wickets in the middle of the innings.

With no justification, they point to his inexperience, something they could have avoided by picking him two years ago.”It could be that he lost it in one over or two overs with the pressure of a one-day international against Australia,” Fletcher said. “That affects your confidence and leads to a technical problem. He is still all right with the team – he believes he can do it and we believe he can do it You have got to be careful how you handle him You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool But we are talking to him and just hope he can do the job. We showed that by playing him in the last game.”Nasser Hussain, the captain, obviously shares Fletcher’s view of Harmison (they are in this together, as always) But he knows the score. “I like the way our batting is coming together but I do worry about our inexperience with the ball.