Flintoff Out of Sri Lanka Series As Coach Denies Injury Was Mismanaged

Andrew Flintoff pulled out of the Sri Lanka one-day series yesterday because of the ankle trouble that continues to plague his career. He will return to England for further treatment and analysis in an attempt to regain fitness in time for the Test series in Sri Lanka late in the year.

England' s coach, Peter Moores, insisted that Flintoff's chronic ankle condition had not been mismanaged in his selection for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa even though he was clearly a long way short of full fitness.

If Flintoff is not heading for Sri Lanka, others are. Ottis Gibson follows up a dream of a season with Durham by stepping in for the unavailable Allan Donald as England's bowling consultant. Ravi Bopara and Ryan Side bottom have recovered from injury and will join England's one-day squad in Sri Lanka next week.

Donald's unavailability has long been signaled but England are not confident that he will accept their offer to become the full-time bowling coach. "He has to consider his family life," said Moores. "He has been on the circuit as a player and now he must consider whether he wants to do it again." He is more likely to join Warwick shire as coach.

Flintoff's problems were a sad finale to England's campaign, in which they beat only Zimbabwe and failed to qualify for tomorrow's semi-finals. Moores' first overseas assignment included a broken thumb for the wicketkeeper Matt Prior, a public apology by the captain, Paul Collingwood, after his brief visit to a Cape Town lap-dancing bar attracted headlines, and a mortifying experience for their young fast bowler, Stuart Broad, in becoming only the fourth man in the first-class game to be hit for six sixes in an over.

Moores said: "We wanted to find out if we could manage Fred's ankle in match conditions. It hasn't got worse but he is playing with pain and he has decided to go back to England to try to get fit for the Test series.

"I don't think he came back too soon. We needed to find out what he could and couldn't do. He has proved that he can play, he has been up there with the top bowlers in the tournament, but we need him to get better."

Even Moores' optimism that Flintoff will return for the Sri Lanka Test series will not find favour with many. Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, has irritated the ECB hierarchy by stating that Flintoff is clearly unfit and should be allowed six months off. But many will echo Ponting's belief that a prolonged break would give Flintoff his best chance of recovering from a third, career-threatening injury.

Australia yesterday made light of Ponting's absence to dispatch Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in Cape Town and book their place in the semi-finals. The openers Matthew Hayden, who overtook England's Kevin Pietersen as the tournament's top run-scorer during an unbeaten 58, and Adam Gilchrist reached the target of 102 in only 10.2 overs.

Pakistan also made the semi-finals, beating Bangladesh by four wickets at Newlands. Shahid Afridi charged towards the 141-run victory target with a pugnacious 39 off only 15 deliveries after Bangladesh's teenage opener Junaid Siddique had reveled on his international debut with a fine 71 from 49 balls.