Flintoff targets rapid return
Dec 23 2009 - 10:23:52
Andrew Flintoff sees no reason why he should not start batting again early in the new year as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.
The 32-year-old Lancastrian will return to the nets next month but admits he will not be able to start bowling again for several months.
Flintoff retired from Test cricket in August after England had regained The Ashes from Australia and will now concentrate on the shorter form of the game.
He said: "It will be good just to start playing some form of cricket again after all this time and it will be great to start hitting balls again.
"I'm just really looking forward to starting cricket exercises again, which I hope to start early in the new year.
"As long as I don't have any setbacks, I should be able to start batting against a bowling machine.
"I won't be doing anything daft and I'll have to ease into it again. When all you do is go to the gym every day, you can almost forget that you're a cricketer.
"While it's good to be able to pick up a bat again, I'm still some way away from bowling again just yet.
"I've been given a programme by the surgeon, Andy Williams, and I'll be sticking to that. I can't see me being given the go-ahead to start bowling for a good few weeks yet."