LONDON, Oct 4: Andrew Flintoff admits he is raring to go as he makes his long-awaited return to the England side for the Champions Trophy.

Skipper Flintoff has shaken off the effects of surgery on his left ankle which kept him sidelined for most of the English summer.

England have been planning to play their inspirational captain and leading all-rounder as a batsman only in the lead-up to their defence of the Ashes starting in Australia in November.

The 28-year-old quick has insisted he will bowl only if he reaches full fitness.

“I'm confident I'll be fine after the work I've done so far,” he said.

“The 12-week rehab programme finishes in mid-October, to coincide with the India trip.

“It's going well at the moment. Everything I've done has responded well to the operation.

“I've been batting, I've done a few walk-through drills with the ball and I'll build up and see how I feel when I start to bowl a bit quicker.” Flintoff, however, fears that the international careers of top-class players will inevitably be shortened by the seemingly non-stop round of Tests and One-day Internationals.

“I believe careers are going to get shorter with the amount of cricket we are playing,” he said.

“It's not seasonal for us any more. We play in the summer and then we go away. If you look at the schedule we have got in the next few months there's not a great deal of time off.”—AFP