ECB has confirmed that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff failed to recover from knee surgery and will not be included for England squad for WT20. Adil Rashid will replace the all-rounder.

31-year-old Flintoff was injured during the IPL match while playing for Chennai Super Kings.National Selector Geoff Miller explained: "We had to name Andrew in the ICC World Twenty20 15 because we hoped he would be fit but in reality the timescale was always optimistic.

After Pakistan's Shoaib Akthar ,Flintoff is the second one to miss ICCWT20.

Akthar Ruled Out

Get Set Go-Ishant sharma for WT20

ICC worldcup t20 2007 stats 

 

"The medical board has reported that Shoaib Akhtar was suffering from genital viral warts and the wound needs further care and treatment for another 10 days," the PCB said in a statement.

The three-member medical board, comprising surgeon Prof. Javed Raza, dermatologist Dr. Ijaz Hussain and PCB sports physician Dr. Riaz Ahmed, said the injury should be reassessed after 10 days.

Thursday's news was another serious blow to 33-year-old Akhtar's career, which had been littered with injuries and controversies.

He also struggled in the one-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. He could not bowl his full quota of 10 overs in any of the four games he played and got only three wickets.

source:icc-cricket.yahoo.net

The young teenager Indain  pace bowler Ishant Sharma is ready for his 1st ever world cup match.Besides his team's poor performance in IPL,he says being part of that team taught me many important lessons.

“I have never been part of any World Cup, and I am really looking forward to it. Conditions in England will be helpful for bowlers and I want to make it memorable for myself. It’s a huge honour to go in as the defending champions,” Sharma told the Indian Express.

"I really have to take care of my economy rate and then I need to work on variations," said the wiry paceman, who was part of the losing Kolkata franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League Twenty20 in South Africa. 

“In T20, you need to have a good yorker and different kinds of slower balls. Also, I am looking to become an impact bowler because nothing else puts the opposing team back like losing early wickets,” he added