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| September 12, 2006 | Tuesday | Sha'aban 18, 1427 |
Ashes Tour: ‘Winning comes first, not captaincy’
LONDON, Sept 11: England's talisman Andrew Flintoff insists he is 'not bothered' about the captaincy — so long as England retain the Ashes. The selectors are set to announce on Tuesday afternoon who will lead England Down Under, with Flintoff and Andrew Strauss the only realistic candidates.
The Lancashire all-rounder was the man in possession earlier this summer, before an ankle injury ruled him out of the matches against Pakistan. Middlesex opener Strauss was handed the reins and led England to a 3-0 Test series success and a 2-2 draw in the one-dayers.
"We are all waiting," Flintoff told Sky Sports News. "If I get an opportunity to captain the side, it would be fantastic but it is in the hands of the selectors now, so we have got to wait and see.
"I'd love to have a go but it's out of our control and Strauss has done a great job over the past few weeks. Either way as long as we win the Ashes, I'm not bothered.
"It will be tough in Australia playing them on their own patch but we have got to be confident going out there. Australia are a tough side, very, very talented and you know it is going to be tough cricket when you walk out there, so that will be nothing different. It's going to be one big winter for us."
As for his own progress following ankle surgery, Flintoff revealed: "The recovery is going well. I started running at the beginning of last week and have been running every day since.
"I have had no ill effects from that — everything that I have asked the ankle to do, it has responded well and I've had no setbacks. It's coming along nicely."
Strauss has skippered England since the end of the home Test series against Sri Lanka in June, when Flintoff was sidelined with an ankle injury.
At the time England chiefs said that, with last year's Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan already ruled out of the return with a recurrence of his longstanding knee problem, Flintoff would captain the side in Australia later this year.
Strauss said the fact that England had come from 2-0 down in a five-match one-day series against Pakistan should have no effect on the Ashes leadership.
“I don't think it should have any bearing whatsoever.
“I've been captain of the side since June and I think they (the selectors) have got a fair idea of what sort of captain I am and likewise with Fred. It's obviously getting close to the time to make that decision.
“It's an important time for the selectors to gather their thoughts and decide who is the best man for the job.
“I haven't spent too much time thinking about it,” Strauss also told reporters after England had made heavy weather of chasing the 155 they needed for victory on Sunday.—Agencies
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