October 24 Thursday 2002
England send Flintoff to Adelaide as physio too busy

PERTH: Injured England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will be sent away to Adelaide because the touring team's physiotherapist is too busy to treat him, coach Duncan Fletcher said on Wednesday.

England started their Ashes tour with a 58-run defeat at the hands of an Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI in a one-day match in Perth on Tuesday. Opening batsman Michael Vaughan, fast bowler Darren Gough and Flintoff all missed the match because of injury and the squad's medical room is already full, Fletcher said.

Flintoff, 24, is trying to overcome a hernia operation in time for next month's first Test against Australia. "Although Andrew's recovery programme is running behind schedule at present, we remain confident that he'll be able to take part in the (five-match) Ashes series," Fletcher said in a statement released on Wednesday.

"However, our physio, Kirk Russell, has a heavy workload at present owing to the number of injuries in the squad and we feel that the medical team at the (Australian Cricket) Academy are best placed to give Andrew the intensive treatment he needs if he is to be fit for the first Test in Brisbane (on November 7)."

England, who've lost the last seven Ashes series since 1989, will start a two-day game against Western Australia here today.