Moores dreams of Flintoff return
Mar 08 2010 - 11:17:05
Lancashire coach Peter Moores has "no doubt at all" that Andrew Flintoff will play again.
The all-rounder is currently recovering from knee surgery, the latest in a long line of injuries which have blighted his career and persuaded him to retire from Test cricket last year.
Flintoff, 32, who went under the knife in the immediate aftermath of England's Ashes success in September, and was forced to undergo a further operation in January, admitted for the first time last week that there is a "slim possibility" he will never return to action - but Moores said: "I've got a lot of confidence - I've no doubt at all that he'll play again."
He added: "When the surgeon had another look at the knee, the fact that he was happy with it is the main thing - that it's repaired or repairing well.
"Fred has got to do his rehab but he has shown in the past that when there's a will for him to do it, and he strongly wants to play, he'll come through.
"Having watched Fred do his rehab before - he knows how to do it, he's very disciplined, he's quite long in the tooth, he's been in international sport for 13-14 years, he doesn't need someone to hold his hand - I'm very confident he'll play again."
As ever with injuries, particularly to a player with Flintoff's track record, Moores admits luck will play its part in his recovery - and subsequent return to competitive duty.
"It's down to the surgeon to do his bit and Fred to do his part. Now we're down to that bit, and hopefully it works," he said.
"He's got to do his stuff if he wants to play. The key will be how it stands up over time and the pressure of playing, which nobody will know."