Wednesday, September 13 2006 12:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Andrew Flintoff has insisted England can dispel the injury doubts over several players; himself included, and retain the Ashes under his captaincy in Australia.

England, who last won a Test series on Australian soil 20 years ago, will be without last year's Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan and reverse-swing ace Simon Jones because of knee injuries and they also have fitness doubts over six members of their 16-man squad.

"Having experienced the emotion of the Ashes last summer, the carrot that's been dangled in front of us is huge," says Flintoff at The Oval, a year to the day since a draw at the south London ground saw England regain the Ashes.

"The lads who were involved in that, they want to experience that again, and the lads who weren't they want to play in it and be involved in it." "We've got to go over there confident, we can't have any fear of losing the Ashes or giving them back. We have to go out there and play as we did last summer, probably even better."

Flintoff, who has not played for England since the end of the Sri Lanka Test series in June, saw off competition from captaincy successor Andrew Strauss for the leadership, with the 28-year-old Lancashire star's all-round gifts the decisive factor.

During last year's Ashes he was the dominant figure with 402 runs and 24 wickets, his aggressive batting and fiery pace bowling winning the respect of England's oldest foes.

"It was his ability to bat, bowl and field and lead from the front," explains chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"The Australians fear him like they fear quite a lot of our players."

But Flintoff, who is set to lead England in next month's Champions Trophy in India as well as the Ashes, says Strauss, who skippered England to a Test series victory against Pakistan and the subsequent drawn one-day series against Inzamam-ul-Haq's side, would be one of his key advisors.

"I was very proud and excited when I was told, but Andrew Strauss has done a fantastic job over the last couple of months against Pakistan." "He's going to be someone that's going to be very important for myself in India and Australia," says Flintoff, who himself captained England to a creditable 1-1 Test series draw in India earlier this year. "From doing the job earlier this summer I've learnt a few things and I probably won't be bowling 51 overs in an innings again like I did at Lord's (against Sri Lanka, in May), but from the bowling point of view the situation of the game will dictate when I bowl."

Flintoff also remains upbeat about his own recovery from surgery. "From a fitness point of view my ankle's getting stronger every day."

"It's responding to everything I'm doing and the rest of my body is probably as fit as I ever have been and I've still got a few more weeks to top that fitness up." "We're going to India and I'll have the opportunity to play out there and play in the nets and once we get to Australia we've got warm-up games so I'm not overly concerned." "I'm not someone who needs loads and loads of cricket to feel in some sort of form."

Graveney had insisted after England's last Ashes tour, where an injury-hit side lost 4-1 in 2002-03 that never again would a side leave for Australia with fitness concerns.

But having then chosen both Darren Gough and Flintoff, neither of whom played any part in the series, for that tour, England have now named a squad which has several currently unfit players.

As well as Flintoff there are also doubts over fellow bowlers James Anderson (back), Stephen Harmison (back), Ashley Giles (hip) and Liam Plunkett (side strain) while opening batsman Marcus Trescothick will miss the Champions Trophy with a stress-related illness.

"We believe they will be fit by the time we go to Australia, it's as simple as that," Graveney also tells sources at The Oval here Tuesday (12 Sep, 2006).

"Four years ago two players, including Andrew Flintoff, arrived at the Academy hardly able to walk having been signed off in this country."

"But this time all the injuries we're confident will be resolved," says Graveney, who insists England now has a better monitoring system in place.

"The Champions Trophy is now a good thing for us to be involved in because it gives us a chance to test these players out."

Giles, sidelined for the last year with hip and hernia problems, will accompany England to India and attempt to play some first-class cricket while Anderson and Harmison are expected to play in the final round of County Championship matches next week.

England, as an insurance policy, has named a 14-man standby squad, which will be based in Perth.

The likes of former Test players in Gloucestershire seamer Jon Lewis and Kent batsman Robert Key, as well as 20-year-old uncapped Leicestershire fast bowler Stuart Broad who featured in the drawn one-day series against Pakistan, have been included.

The presence of such a large 'shadow' party, together with their extensive backroom staff, can see England spends as much as 250,000 pounds on trying to retain the Ashes.