Flintoff confident of quick recovery

Cricket/ VB Series: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is confident of being fit for the start of the season after leaving the tour of South Africa to undergo surgery.

Flintoff played a key role in England's Test series victory in South Africa but has now flown home for an operation on his ankle.

The 27-year-old has been troubled by a bone spur for some time and England felt it was best to sacrifice his involvement in the seven-match one-day series to be fit for the Ashes in the summer.

Flintoff said: "I had an injection last week to get me through the Test match but I've got time now to get it done. I've got a few weeks to get fit for the start of the season."

Flintoff suffered with the problem last summer and admits his heavy workload probably exacerbated it in South Africa.

He added: "The workload has played a part but lots of bowlers have had this done. It has come to the point where I need to get it done and there was no other time."

Meanwhile Kevin Pietersen, Flintoff's replacement, made a massive impression upon the return to his homeland yesterday by powering England to a six-wicket victory over South Africa A.

Pietersen (24) was promised a hard time by Proteas captain Graeme Smith should he make the seven-match one-day series.

But things proved far from that for the Hampshire batsman - who qualified to play for the country of his mother's birth last October - as he paced his innings of 97 to perfection alongside fellow youngster Ian Bell.

The fourth-wicket pair shared 169 runs in 27 overs after coming together with the tourists wilting under the floodlights.

Unperturbed by arriving in the middle with the score 57 for three, the powerful Pietersen replicated the kind of destruction usually associated with Flintoff.

Having hauled himself out of a rut in the 20s, when his timing went, the 6ft 4ins batsman struck his final 73 runs off just 45 deliveries.

Meanwhile, the second fund-raising cricket match for tsunami victims set for Calcutta on February 13th has been postponed until the second half of April.