Cricket: Lloyd takes heart at form of Flintoff
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Your support makes all the difference.AS ENGLAND arrived here after a troubled journey from Pakistan, their tour manager, David Lloyd, was talking up the prospects of a player who appears to be coming into form at precisely the right time.
Andrew Flintoff and the rest of the World Cup squad begin their Sharjah campaign tomorrow against Pakistan, but had to to postpone their scheduled net practice after a delayed flight.
Flintoff made a huge impact on his team-mates during the training camp in Lahore, smashing his international colleagues for 112 off 67 balls playing for Lahore Gymkhana last week, and Lloyd said: "The big plus from this trip has been Flintoff's form. It has given a lift to the whole team because he will be a dangerous player."
One player who will miss the World Cup, Michael Atherton, has criticised the swift manner in which he was dropped from the squad, saying he should have been given time to prove his fitness. "In truth, everything came round a bit too soon," he said. "I think there could have been a more understanding approach from the England and Wales Cricket Board."
Australia's chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, has urged Shane Warne to fight to regain his Test place despite the player's talk of possible retirement. Warne had said that he would reconsider his international future after the World Cup, having being left out of Australia's team for the fourth Test against the West Indies in Antigua.
However, Hohns said: "It's natural when people suffer a disappointment that they're going to show it. But knowing Shane he certainly won't make any rash decisions and I'm confident that he'll fight back."
Opener Sanath Jayasuriya and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, both injured recently, have been included in Sri Lanka's World Cup squad. Jayasuriya has been out since breaking his arm two months ago.
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