London, May 26 (Inditop): Australia captain Ricky Ponting is closely monitoring the progress of England all rounder Andrew Flintoff, who played a key role in his team’s victory in Ashes 2005 and is currently recovering from keyhole surgery to his right knee.
Flintoff has failed to find his 2005 form, but has been named in the England squad for the World Twenty20.
Ponting is fully aware of dangers a fully-fit Flintoff can pose to the Australian team during Ashes 2009.
“He’ll be important for them if he is 100 per cent. I think we saw the difference between him being 100 per cent fit and probably 90 per cent fit between 2005 and 2007,” The Independent quoted Ponting, as saying.
“I’ll be keeping a close eye on him through the Twenty20s, just to see how fit and good he is.
Ponting admitted that a series victory in England is what he really craves.
“That’s certainly one thing that will be missing off my resume as captain of this team. Obviously 2005 didn’t go the way we would have liked and there was a lot made of the tour,” he added.
Ponting said the chemistry gained from that series in South Africa has done wonders for the team and hopes it will continue in England.
“I think the chemistry was one of the great things that we had in South Africa,” he said.
The first Ashes Test will start in Cardiff on July 8.
rounak