Anderson Gets England Call

Lancashire seamer James Anderson has been added to England's injury-hit one-day squad after Andrew Caddick emerged as a doubt for Friday's opening match of the triangular series.

Anderson was called up from the Academy in Canberra after Caddick sustained a knee injury during yesterday's four-wicket defeat by the Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka Oval.

Caddick received ice treatment after the game but was limping today as England travelled back to Sydney, where they will play Australia in the opening match of the triangular tournament on Friday evening.

The choice of Anderson, who was 20 last summer, is particularly curious given he played only two one-day matches for Lancashire last season while county colleague Kyle Hogg impressed during the under-19 World Cup and was a regular one-day player.

He is the 30th player to be included on the tour but while he made arrangements to make his journey to Sydney from Perth, county team-mate Andrew Flintoff's future was uncertain.

Lancashire vice-captain Flintoff has played in all three of the tourists' warm-up defeats over the last few days with mixed success and looked very laboured in delivering 4.4 overs for 33 runs in Canberra yesterday.

That display has forced England's management to take a serious look at Flintoff's fitness before they embark on a schedule of four matches in eight days, all at different venues against Australia and SriLanka.

Flintoff has not recovered full fitness since a double hernia operation last August, missing the last Test against India to give him time to recover for the start of the Ashes series, and has been a peripheral figure since England arrived in Australia.

With the World Cup starting in less than two months, England are poised to undertake a thorough review of Flintoff's problems before making a decision about his immediate future before the start of the triangular tournament this weekend.

"He could play on Friday but it's whether it's the right thing to do or not," said captain Nasser Hussain today.

"Would it happen in any other form of professional sport? Would someone half-fit be playing?

"Would this Australian side play someone half-fit? These are the questions we have to answer.

"Is it right for Andrew to play like he is or is he such a crucial member of our side that we need him to play like he is? These are all difficult decisions for the medical people and the four selectors."

Hussain claims Flintoff can only deliver about four or five overs to his full potential at present and admitted he is "a bit stiff in the field".

"We have to decide what is the best thing to do for Andrew Flintoff and the team," admitted Hussain.

"It's something we discuss nearly every day and eventually it's something that will have to be resolved probably in the next 24 hours.

"We need to decide whether we're quite happy for him to play the way he is or whether he should go back to England and have his problems sorted out or whether he should stay here and have a rest and get ready for the World Cup.

"We need to review what the three games have shown us. We have to have a look at him and decide whether he is getting better or worse and try and do the most professional thing with him."

It is not the first time Flintoff has played when unfit, having featured in the innings defeat by India at Headingley last summer when he needed a hernia operation - a situation Hussain labelled "unprofessional".

But with a World Cup coming up, Hussain is not prepared to gamble any more and is pressing for a firm decision from the medical back-up team so England can begin planning for the triangular tournament without him if necessary.