The emotion around Flintoff

It is apparent that Flintoff is unfit and playing purely on the strength of his will and the emotional high of his last Ashes Test match series.

Similarly, the English team have thrown good sense out and selected him on the basis of the euphoria of his performance on the final day of the last day at Lord's series.

During the last Ashes Test match at Edgbaston it was patently obvious that Strauss was saving him for the final fling and avoided using him as he knew the pitch was unhelpful  as the Australian batsmen Clark and North saved the Ashes for their team.

It is clear that he is unfit and on the verge of  breakdown any moment and yet the English selectors are willing to risk playing with 10 players purely for emotional reasons.

So it is all the more funny to hear Strauss say "We're going to have to [take the emotion out]". "It's the fourth Test of an Ashes series, we're close to the finish line and although we're all desperate for him to play, we need to be realistic enough to realise that if he's not fit then he shouldn't play."

Either Strauss is trying to seduce himself that he is taking a reasoned decision or he believes that he cannot win a Test against Australians without Flintoff.

In a way selecting Flintoff is playing right into the Australian hands. The way in which they have batted in the second innings in the last two Test matches gives the feeling that if luck in the form of the toss favours the Australians  they will surely wrap the English team around their little fingers.

England will be better served if they have a full squad or they risk losing savouring the Ashes legacy.

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