Cricket: England rule Flintoff out

Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of fourth Ashes Test against Australia, which begins at Headingley this morning. The talismanic all-rounder has been struggling with a knee injury and was widely expected to miss out.

The ECB confirmed just after 9am that Flintoff was unavailable due to injury. They will confirm his replace shortly.

England's selectors will now be forced to rethink their strategy for Headingley and seamers Steve Harmison or Ryan Sidebottom will now come into the side. England starts the fourth Test at 11am this morning 1-0 up in the Ashes with two to play.

Flintoff had made no secret of the fact that he was desperate to be part of a Headingley Test where England could trump their 2005 Ashes success.

But despite the 31-year-old's insistence that he is as fit as can be, his lingering knee injury means he would still be below his best, and that was something that Strauss and his coach Andy Flower were not prepared to risk.

A brief statement on the EBC website said: "England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will play no part in the penultimate Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley due to a knee injury."

The all-rounder will be replaced by Steve Harmison at Headingley, meaning Stuart Broad will move up to No 7 in the batting order.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:Cricinfo: "Flintoff made it clear after his bruising performance at Lord's that he was willing to play through the pain barrier in these, his final Tests, but during a training session at Headingley yesterday, he barely reached his top pace and bowled with a heavy knee brace."

Mike Atherton, the Times: "The conclusion seems inescapable: if Headingley Carnegie produces a result - highly likely given that since 1981 there have been only two draws there - then to the winners will go the Ashes. This is self-evident in England's case, as a win would give them an unassailable lead in the series and spark off the kind of jingoism that would make Edgbaston's booing of Ricky Ponting look tame indeed. But if Australia turn things around in Leeds, it is difficult to see how Andrew Strauss's team will bounce back and bowl Australia out twice on traditionally the flattest pitch of them all, the Brit Oval."

Nick Hoult, the Telegraph: "A brief statement on the EBC website said: "England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will play no part in the penultimate Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley due to a knee injury. The all-rounder will be replaced by Steve Harmison at Headingley, meaning Stuart Broad will move up to No 7 in the batting order."

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