England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff announced on Wednesday that he will retire from Test cricket after the Ashes against Australia because of his ongoing struggle with injuries. The 31-year-old Flintoff is still determined to feature in the four remaining Tests of the current series despite aggravating a knee injury during the drawn first Test against Australia which ended on Sunday. My body has told me its time to stop, the former England captain said. For the next four Test matches Ill do everything I need to do to get on a cricket field and Im desperate to make my mark. I want to finish playing for England on a high and if you look at the fixtures going forward,the way my body is suggests I wont be able to get through that. Flintoff has struggled with injuries since being at the heart of the 2005 Ashes triumph and is sacrificing five-day cricket to try to ensure his fitness for the 50-over and Twenty20 international matches. He has played Test cricket for 11 years. Ive been through four ankle operations,I had knee surgery just a couple of months ago and had three jabs in my knee on Monday just to get me right for this test so I took that as my body telling me that I cant cope with the rigours of Test cricket, he said. Since 2005 Ive done two years when Ive done nothing but rehab from one injury or another. Two of the last four years Ive spent just in rehabilitation and I just cant keep doing it for myself,my own sanity,my family and also for the team because they need to move on as well. England captain Andrew Strauss revealed that although he had prior knowledge,Flintoff made the announcement to the team on Wednesday morning. As players weve had a feeling this was coming sooner rather than later with the injuries hes had over the last couple of years, Strauss said. Test match bowling puts so much pressure on his body that this seemed the logical thing to do. Its sad that hes made this decision at this age but maybe it will make him more motivated for the next four Tests. He wants to go out with a bang. Strauss was confident that Flintoff would be fit enough to get through the Lords Test that starts Thursday and also the rest of the series. We spoke to the medical staff and we would never play a guy in a Test if we didnt have a huge amount of confidence that he could get through, he said. He feels better the news is out there and with the injury surrounding this game he felt it was the right time. LIFE AND TIMES EARLY DAYS • Born in December 1977 in Preston,Flintoff made his first class county cricket debut for Lancashire in 1995 aged 18. He represented England for the first time in a Test match against South Africa in July 1998. CAREER HIGHS • Following an inconsistent opening to his international career,he knocked his highest career Test score of 167 against West Indies at Edgbaston in July 2004 and recorded career best bowling figures of 5-58 in the subsequent tour in Antigua. • He scored 402 runs and took 24 wickets to inspire England as they regained the Ashes for the first time in 18 years with a 2-1 series victory over Australia in September 2005. Was named Man of the Series and received the inaugural Compton-Miller Medal. GOING WRONG • Flintoff was captain for Englands disastrous defence of the Ashes as Australia won all five Tests to record the first Ashes whitewash in 86 years. • Following Vaughans return to fitness,Flintoff travelled to the 2007 World Cup in West Indies as vice-captain,but was stripped of the position because of a late-night drinking binge. BREAKING DOWN • Flintoff underwent surgery in 2005 and 2006,the latter forcing him to miss the second half of the season. • A fourth operation on his ankle in late 2007 removed extra bone and bone fragments which ruled him out until Test matches against South Africa in July 2008. • Flintoff flew home from the Caribbean for treatment on a torn hip muscle,missing the fourth and fifth Tests. • Flintoff again twisted his right knee during the drawn first Ashes Test against Australia in Cardiff.
