No regrets over IPL says Flintoff, despite injury

Andrew Flintoff has no regrets about playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite suffering a knee injury that ruled him out of the first part of England's busy summer.

The Lancashire all-rounder said he already had his sights set on facing Australia in the Ashes series starting in July after undergoing surgery on a torn cartilage.

"My injury was building up and while it's frustrating, at least it happened now," the injury-prone 31-year-old told The Sun today.

"There was always going to be people commenting about it. But it wasn't one incident that did it, it was a gradual thing that had built up over time.

"I would have been playing for Lancashire had it not been Chennai in the IPL, so this would have happened."

Flintoff, who played for Chennai Super Kings, is expected to be fit for the Twenty20 World Cup in June but says the prospect of facing Australia is driving him on to get fit.

"When you've had the problems I've had, with the ankle operations and now my knee, then it's the dream of playing Ashes cricket and beating Australia that keeps you going," he said.

"That's the motivation during rehab but when the time comes around I have to make sure I'm on top of my game, too.

"It is the series you want to play in. People ask if the 5-0 whitewash in 2006-07 motivates me for revenge. But, to be honest, I don't need any more motivation than just to play in The Ashes again."