Selector defends Flintoff's exclusion from fourth Ashes Test

London, Aug. 10(ANI): Chief selector Geoff Miller has defended Andrew Flintoff's exclusion from fourth Ashes Test at Headingley, despite Flintoff's insistence that he was fit to play.

"We had to guarantee that Fred could do the job required to bowl the overs," The Telegraph quoted Miller, as saying

"We'd been monitoring his injury day by day and the selectors felt that it was better that he didn't play in that game. Yes, he might have thought he was fit to do a certain job, but we had to work out whether he'd be fit to do a constant job, meaning bowl the amount of overs required to get the 20 wickets," he added.

Miller further said that they would consult doctors and physiotherapists to decide when Flintoff can make it back into the squad for the last Test.

"We have to go on the medical advice. We know that Freddie's passionate to play for England, I accept that, but there are a lot of other ideals we have to work to, such as taking medical advice. If the medics say there's still a problem there, then we have to accept what their viewpoint is," Miller said.

Meanwhile, Andrew Chandler, Flintoff's agent, has said that Flintoff was disappointed when he was told that he would not be selected and claimed that the all-rounder was fit to play.

"He told them that he was fit enough to get through, that he felt no different to how he felt at Edgbaston and that he could get through and do his bit,"said Chandler.

"They didn't want him. He was prepared to do whatever it takes, was prepared to put whatever needed to be put into his knee. The whole point of announcing his retirement when he did was to clear his head and prepare to do whatever needed to be done to play the final Test matches of his career," he added. (ANI)