Dalrymple's Middlesex team-mate Andrew Strauss was confirmed as captain for the remainder of the four-Test series against Pakistan after it was announced Saturday that Flintoff, who missed the drawn opener at Lord's, would require surgery on his injured ankle.

"As we will now be without Andrew Flintoff for an extended period, the selectors have appointed Andrew Strauss as captain for the rest of the Test series against Pakistan," chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said after announcing the squad Sunday.

"We are very disappointed to lose Andrew Flintoff as both a player and a captain.

"The medical staff from both Lancashire and England had worked extremely hard to try and help him overcome the injury without recourse to surgery and Andrew himself had done everything that was asked of him.

"His priority now will be to ensure he is fully fit for the Ashes in Australia."

Meanwhile Graveney cast doubt on the prospects of Liam Plunkett, who was in England's XI at Lord's, making it into the team at Old Trafford after the Durham quick sustained a side strain while on county duty.

"We have taken the precaution of including 14 players in the squad for this Test match as Liam Plunkett injured his side playing for Durham against West Indies 'A' and his fitness will need to be re-assessed over the next 48 hours.

"Jamie Dalrymple performed impressively during the NatWest Series (against Sri Lanka, where England were beaten 5-0 in five one-day matches) and his inclusion will give the captain and coach another option when they decide on the starting line-up for this Test match."

Looking ahead, Graveney remained upbeat about Flintoff's prospects of playing in the first Test against Australia at Brisbane on November 23.

"He will have surgery early next week and them embark on the rehab. It will be a tight call but the way Freddie applied himself to his rehab over the past five weeks, I am confident he will be ready to go to Australia," Graveney told BBC Radio Five.

"At the Trent Bridge Test (against Sri Lanka) Freddie was seen by two consultants who are the best in their field. They decided against an operation and to go down the ankle-strengthening form of rehab.

"Freddie with Dave Roberts, the Lancashire physio, has worked day and night. People who have seen Freddie remarked how well he looks physically.

"He played in the Twenty20 game for Lancashire. Virtually every hurdle had been crossed. But when he played against Kent (in the County Championship) he began to feel the same symptons again.

"The consultants have now gone down the course of surgery."

"We still believe Freddie will be on the plane (to Australia) with the rest of the team. I am confident he will be ready for the first Test."

Flintoff's fellow Ashes-winning bowlers Ashley Giles (hip) and Simon Jones (knee) are also both currently sidelined.

Graveney raised the prospect of the duo playing in either South Africa or even state cricket in Australia in a bid to get fit for the Ashes opener at Brisbane's Gabba ground.

"We are investigating areas where we can play cricket. South Africa is one. And maybe I am being slightly mischievous here but maybe the Australians might allow some of our players to play in their domestic cricket.

"Ashley is the most acute of all because he hasn't played for virtually 12 months and there is Simon Jones too."

Squad

Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex, capt), Alastair Cook (Essex), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Geraint Jones (Kent, wkt), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Jon Lewis (Gloucestershire), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Jamie Dalrymple (Middlesex).

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)