Rashid replaces injured Flintoff for World Twenty20

LONDON (Reuters) - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the World Twenty20 after failing to recover in time from knee surgery, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old, who missed the test and one-day series against West Indies after his latest bout of surgery, is replaced in England's squad by Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who has yet to play a senior international match.

Flintoff damaged his right knee playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

"In reality the timescale was always optimistic," said national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement.

"There is a lot of cricket still to play this year and it is important Andrew is fully fit for it."

ECB chief medical officer Nick Peirce said in a statement that Flintoff had made "excellent progress".

"There is no swelling or pain now in the knee," Peirce said. "He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practising this week."