Strauss backs Flintoff to deliver

Andrew Strauss believes Andrew Flintoff will take out his frustration at his spate of injuries on Australia this summer

Andrew Strauss is confident Australia will suffer the full impact of Andrew Flintoff's frustration at his recent spell on the sidelines during this summer's Ashes.

The England captain has studied Flintoff's body language in the build-up to the first npower Test in Cardiff and believes the 31-year-old all-rounder is ready to resume his battle with Australia.

Man of the series in 2005, Flintoff's preparation for his third Ashes series has been interrupted by a knee injury sustained during his stint in the Indian Premier League, and he has only recently returned to competitive cricket.

"I think we'd all like to see him back on the park," admitted Strauss. "He has had a difficult 12 months and a number of injuries one after another can eat away at your motivation, and you start wondering, ‘Am I ever going to be back to my best’?

"From the way he bowled against Warwickshire, the way he is bowling in the nets, he’s very close at the moment. He is obviously hugely motivated to play well and contribute to the team.

"He has been sitting on the sidelines earlier in the season watching us play well against the West Indies and has missed that winning feeling.

“We all know that any good feelings you get from winning a Test match are all amplified by the fact that it is an Ashes Test match and that is going to be plenty of motivation for him.

"He's been away for a while - all those hours and days of months of rehab you do with one goal in mind, and for him that was to get back and try to play in this Ashes series, so focus isn’t going to be a problem for him.

“I think he’s going to roar in and make life difficult and when he does that, that’s when he plays at his best."

If England decide to pick both specialist spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, there will be seven players taking the field who were part of the squad beaten 5-0 Down Under two years ago.

It will be a source of major motivation for Flintoff, who captained England on that tour, and many other members of the 2006-7 squad as they attempt to atone for such a humbling.

"It’s a different team and there are quite a few different characters involved so it’s not something we have been looking back on a huge amount, and it would probably be wrong too because it wasn’t something to look back on with a huge amount of pride," said Strauss.

"It hurt losing that series. I remember after the Adelaide Test in particular how much that hurt.

“In an Ashes series you don’t struggle for motivation in any way, but if that gives us a little bit more, that’s a very good thing."

Flintoff is ready to do battle for the Ashes - having overcome a knee injury sustained in April at the IPL