Flintoff hopes to return "in the next few weeks"

London:

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff hopes to make his long-awaited return from knee surgery "in the next few weeks".

Flintoff has had two knee operations since helping England win the Ashes against Australia in the final Test at the Oval last year.

The Lancashire star retired from Test cricket after that match, but he still hopes to play in one-day internationals for England, as well as representing his county in domestic action.

Flintoff, 32, believes he could play for Lancashire some time in the coming weeks as a batsman and then gradually step up his bowling work-load as well.

"It's going well, there's light at the end of the tunnel," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's been a long road with the rehab since then but I'm hoping to play again in the next few weeks.

"I'm back in the nets at Lancashire and from nowhere I've found the ability to bat again which is encouraging.

"I'm going to have to play in the second team first and force my way back into the first team but with the way I'm batting, I'm hoping to do that with the bat initially and then pick up the bowling from there.

"Rather than worrying about where my feet go, my hands and my head and getting too technical, I've basically gone back to how I used to play when I was younger, just see the ball and hit it as hard as I can.

"That's the way I tend to play, especially in the short form of the game, but I just can't wait to get cracking.

"It's been so long, and I'm now starting to get excited and chomping at the bit to start."