Questions surrounding Andrew Flintoff's recovery from his hernia operation – or more to the point, failure to recover – have again been raised, this time by Peter Gregory, the England & Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) new chief medical officer. "Andrew has made an unexpectedly slow recovery, which is still incomplete despite undertaking programmes typically carried out by other sportsmen rehabilitating from this type of surgery," said Gregory. "We have found no specific reason for the slowness of recovery.

"Failure of repair, infection, muscle/tendon tears and joint problems have all been excluded as the cause of injury. But he has done all that has been asked of him in terms of rehabilitation."

Flintoff, who was stung by accusations made by Lord MacLaurin, the ECB's outgoing chairman, that he had not taken his rehabilitation seriously, will undergo an intensive training programme under the supervision of the Lancashire medical team. While every effort is being made to get him ready for the World Cup, it is unlikely that he will be risked unless he proves that he is back to full fitness.

"At this stage, he remains weak in important muscles and is continuing to experience pain after short spells of fast bowling," Gregory explained. "Andrew's rehabilitation is geared to his being able to prove himself properly match-fit by mid-January."

Gregory's appointment came at a time that the ECB was under fire from a number of directions for what former England captain Michael Atherton described as its "amateurish" medical set-up. MacLaurin's comments and the catalogue of injuries in Australia only served to underline that all was not well.

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