Flintoff insists best years are ahead in return to the front

On his first day back with the England side Andrew Flintoff was asked what it was that kept him going during the cold, wet days while rehabilitating from two ankle operations and a side strain, injuries that have kept him out of Test cricket for more than 18 months.

"If you have ever put an England shirt on that is enough," Flintoff said at Headingley, where he is expected to make his Test comeback against South Africa tomorrow. "Once you have done that you do whatever it takes to get back out there playing one-day international or Test cricket. The excitement and emotion of playing a Test match, walking out with the rest of the team, is enough to keep anyone going."

There are many sportsmen who make such utterances, kissing the badge on their shirt they wear for extra effect, yet it makes little impact. You do not have to be a neurologist to work out the insincerity of their comments and actions.

But not with Flintoff. When big Freddie makes a statement such as this you know he means it. Flintoff has his faults, most of which have been well documented, but nobody can doubt what it means to him to play for England.

Between 2003 and 2005, when the mighty all-rounder was in his pomp, watching Flintoff bowl for England was a source of huge pride. No matter how benign the pitch or good the batting was he would run in and give every ball his absolute all. With Flintoff comes excess, whether it be on or off the field, and his commitment on it provides inspiration and a wonderful example to team-mates.

"It feels a bit like a new beginning," he admitted. "It's great to be back. For me it is almost a fresh start. It has been so long since I last played in a Test match. We have a new coach, different players and I am looking forward to fitting in the side. A few years ago I was out of the team for a while and came back with some success, hopefully I can do that again.

"I feel good about my game, good about myself and my fitness. The side strain has long gone and the foot operation has been forgotten, too. I am just raring to go."

The schedule could have been kinder to Flintoff; Headingley is not a ground that he has particularly fond memories of. In four Test appearances here he has bagged a pair of pairs – against South Africa in 1998 and India in 2002 – and taken eight wickets. Flintoff's form with Lancashire this season has been modest. In five first-class matches he has scored 132 runs at an average of 22 and taken 13 wickets at 26.

No player returning from injury is prepared to accept he is not as good as the pre-injury model and the 30-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer. "I still feel that my best years are ahead of me," he insisted. "I didn't really start bowling properly until I was 24, so on that front I am pretty new to it all. I now feel I have a better grasp of bowling. I have a bit of pace but I now have more craft, I can adapt to different situations and pitches.

"With the bat, I didn't start the season too well. But in the past few weeks I have been making strides to get back to playing well, and batsmen tend to reach their peak in their early 30s. Hopefully for me it is just round the corner."

Informing Flintoff that he is playing tomorrow will be a pleasurable job for Geoff Miller, the chief selector; telling someone that they have been omitted will not. That person will then need to show the same character as Flintoff has shown to get back in the side.

* Future series between England and South Africa will comprise five matches after the International Cricket Council gave the meetings "icon" status. The extra Test will make the next series, in South Africa in 2009-10, equal in duration to the Ashes.

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