By English Cricket
March 13 2005

As expected Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has been ruled out of the curtain raiser to this seasons Ashes summer, the two test series against the cellar-dwellers Bangladesh. Fortunately, for English and Lancs fans he is expected to play in at least a few county matches before the summer really kicks into action, albeit initially as a batsman.

In any event, England are unlikely to miss him against Bangladesh, who are still chasing their first test victory and will face plenty of challenges in early season conditions. The Tigers may encounter furter problems, if the English selectors do not overlook Kevin Pietersen as Flintoff's replacement for the first test. After an astounding ODI debut, with an average of 139.50 from 11 limited-overs internationals in Zimbabwe and South Africa, he certainly deserves to be in the reckoning. Furthermore, his aggresive batting style will ensure that he will be a like for like replacement for Flintoff.

Nevertheless, England may opt to reward those who have bided their time and waited for their chance. Certainly the likes of Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, have done little wrong with the opportunities they've had. But, the selectors need to be mindful that with the Australians just around the corner they need to back players with the talent and the mental strength to win games, and Pietersen has shown in his short career that he has those qualities.