ANDREW FLINTOFF, probably the key to England’s chances of winning the present series against Pakistan and certainly the Ashes series in Australia, bowled only two overs in Lancashire’s defeat by Kent yesterday, sees a specialist today and is in serious doubt for the second npower Test starting at Old Trafford on Thursday. His ankle pain has returned as a result of his first extended spell of bowling since the final Test against Sri Lanka.

Far from playing again this week, Flintoff must be fearing the possibility that an arthroscopy on the left ankle, an option discarded after his last first-class match, the third Test against Sri Lanka in early June, will now be advised to deal with the tiny fragments of bone or crystal shown by a scan on June 5. At the time, two specialists advised rest and both his ankle and his overall fitness have improved after hard work with Dave Roberts, the Lancashire and former England physiotherapist. Flintoff is due to travel with Roberts tomorrow to try out new boots, designed to give extra ankle support, from an adidas centre in Germany.

Any operation would mean a further six weeks of rehabilitation, leaving the possibility of only two four-day games in September before final decisions are taken about his fitness to captain England in the Ashes series.

An ECB statement said: “Andrew has made good progress with his rehabilitation from an injury to his left ankle. Unfortunately, he has experienced some discomfort and he will see a specialist to reassess the ankle and future management of the injury.”

Since he was ordered to rest his sore ankle, England have played eight matches of between 20 overs and five days duration and won one of them, narrowly, against Ireland. Six were lost and last week’s first npower Test against Pakistan felt, if not anywhere near a defeat, were at least like a short putt missed when a birdie beckoned. Things may not look up until Flintoff returns to offer runs, wickets, slip catches and, above all, a properly balanced side.

At Lord’s it was a question of whether to play the extra batsman or bowler. Opting for a sixth specialist batsman in Ian Bell proved right, not just because he made a fluent hundred — and might, had he not been run out, have enabled an earlier declaration in the second innings — but also because an additional bowler would probably have made no difference to the result. That game was indicative of the way that England should approach the series in Australia, except on turning pitches, namely to field six batsmen, three of whom — Bell, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen need to bowl more — plus a wicketkeeper, Flintoff, a spinner, Matthew Hoggard and Stephen Harmison.

If Old Trafford is going to offer some help for spinners next week the selectors would do well when they announce the team tomorrow to add Jamie Dalrymple to their mix in preparation for what may be his role at Sydney and possibly also Adelaide and Melbourne. He is at least as good an off spinner as Richard Dawson, who played four Tests on the last tour of Australia, and at least half a class higher as a batsman.

Of those who played at Lord’s last week Liam Plunkett would presumably give way to Flintoff only in the unlikely event of his being risked, but he and Sajid Mahmood both need to work in county cricket on their batting and a more consistent line. Pakistan’s batsmen have been impressed by Plunkett’s bowling potential, for all its waywardness, and he may yet become a very effective Test cricketer but the form player remains Jon Lewis, who has taken 50 first-class wickets at only 16 runs each. He gives constant reminders that his omission in favour of the likes of Plunkett and Mahmood is ageism pure and simple when the objective ought to be to win cricket matches.