Moores: Fred close to a recall

Peter Moores has confirmed that Andrew Flintoff was close to earning a recall for the first Test against New Zealand.

Lancashire all-rounder Flintoff has shown up well in the early weeks of the new domestic season, having undergone a fourth ankle operation several months ago.

However, he has now suffered a side strain which has put him back on the sidelines for a few weeks.

Coach Moores confirmed: "Fred would have been in the squad.

"It would have given us a chance to assess exactly where he is, firsthand, but the process of his rehabilitation has been going on for a long time.

"How many overs he's bowled and what he's done in practice has been logged by the performance centre.

"Whether he would have been fit enough to play in that Test would have been a decision to make, but in the end it was taken out of our hands.

"The most promising thing is that it's the ankle that has been troubling him over the last two three years that, touch wood, has gone away.

"They've made some repairs, got it stable and he's pain-free, which is the ultimate thing for a bowler.

"Everyone likes bowlers who bowl 90mph, but they are a rare breed. Fred's very quick, but he's also very accurate and has a natural pace and a natural line. No-one likes facing 90mph bowlers."