Flintoff aims for home return

Andrew Flintoff in good cheer ahead of the Old Trafford ODI

Andrew Flintoff hopes to make an emotional return to international action at Old Trafford on Thursday in the fourth match of the NatWest Series against India.

Flintoff who has not featured for England at his “second home” since the Ashes Test of 2005 due to a series of injuries that have blighted his availability since England reclaimed the urn.

The all-rounder is currently recovering from a slight knee problem which sidelined him for Monday’s outstanding win at Birmingham, where England went 2-1 ahead in the seven-match NatWest Series.

He received an anti-inflammatory cortisone injection on Saturday to try to speed up the healing process and after playing a full role in practice today, expects to be ready to make his return.

“All the time I’ve been working on my ankle, I’ve also been trying to keep my other body parts moving in a way that you do when you bowl,” he explained.

“It would have been great if I’d have come back and felt nothing else from my body but it might have been inevitable and there was always a chance that something else might react negatively and that’s what happened - it’s just a question of managing it but I’m not overly concerned about it.”

Having played one-day international cricket since 1999, Thursday’s day-night encounter would only be Flintoff’s fourth for England at his home ground and his first since 2003.

He is yet to score a one-day international half-century at Old Trafford and his highest total so far is the unbeaten 42 he scored against Zimbabwe to win the man of the match award in 2000 - an innings which provoked the “not bad for a fat lad” comment in response to criticism he was out of shape.

It has made him all the more determined to return at Old Trafford, stressing: “You don’t want to miss any game but this one more so than most.

“I’ve been coming here since I was nine and it’s a special feeling every time you walk into the place. I’m playing in front of my home crowd and I’ve not done a great deal of it so I’m very keen to play tomorrow and hopefully I’ll come through.”

Along with Flintoff, Dimitri Mascarenhas is also in line for a return after shrugging off the hand injury he sustained in the warm-up at Edgbaston and forced a late re-shuffle of the side.