MELBOURNE, Oct 9: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff should be fit to play for the World XI in their one-off Test match against Australia starting on Friday despite bruising his wrist in Sunday’s 156-run defeat in the final one-day match.

Flintoff, who was sent to hospital for an X-ray on his right wrist after he dropped a sharp caught and bowled chance from Ricky Ponting, was cleared of any serious injury and batted in the World XI’s innings.

“Nothing is broken or cracked, it’s just bad bruising,” World XI captain Shaun Pollock told a news conference.

“He is very sore and he had ice and an arm wrap on before he went out to bat and then after so I’m sure he’ll be fine.

“He is one hell of a vital player and once you realise that it’s not broken then you just have to get through the pain barrier and get out there and perform.

“The longer you can wait and allow the bandage to bring the swelling down the better ... (and) he has a couple of days to recover so he should be all right.”

Flintoff, 27, received treatment on the field for several minutes before being taken to an inner-city Melbourne hospital for checks.

He came out to bat with the World XI in desperate trouble at 27 for four and facing a hat trick delivery after Brett Lee had dismissed Jacques Kallis (two) and Brian Lara (nought) with successive deliveries.

He successfully defended the delivery before combining with Virender Sehwag in a 60-run partnership. He was eventually bowled by Shane Watson for 21.

Ashes Man-of-the-Series Flintoff is also in England’s squad for their tour of Pakistan starting later this month.

Meanwhile, Watson wants to become the Flintoff of Australian cricket and on Sunday he laid down a considerable down-payment with a stellar Man-of-the-match performance in Australia’s thumping Super Series win over the World XI.

Watson picked up his second man-of-the-match award in the three-match tournament after scoring an unbeaten run-a-ball 66 here Sunday and taking 4-39 off 7.5 overs to put the skids under the world all-stars.

Australia have identified the need to develop a Flintoff-type all-rounder as their priority following the loss of the Ashes to England last month.

Bowling consistently in the 140-plus km/h range and fielding with energy — as his run-out of India’s Virender Sehwag attested in Sunday’s win — Watson, 24, believes he is the man Australian cricket is crying out for.

“I do believe I can back it up,” Watson said. “I’m only still young so I know I have a lot of improving still to go and that’s my goal to get somewhere near the player that Andrew Flintoff is.

“The contribution that he continually does for England, I would love to do that and with the bat and ball if I keep working hard that hopefully I can be the answer to what Australia is looking for.”

Watson said his game has been improved by his English county stint with Hampshire and the coaching of former Australian Test fast bowler Bruce Reid.

“I played a lot of cricket in England with Australia ‘A’ in Pakistan and I kept continuing to improve.”—Agencies