Flintoff to retire from all test cricket

By John Mehaffey

LONDON (Reuters) - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will retire from test cricket after the Ashes series against Australia because his battered body can no longer cope with the demands of five-day matches.

"My body is telling me things and I'm starting to listen," Flintoff told a news conference at Lord's on Wednesday. "I've missed two years out of the past four so my career has been curtailed by injury."

Flintoff, 31, has missed 25 of England's last 48 matches after four operations on his left ankle as well as shoulder, hip and knee injuries.

He suffered pain and swelling on his right knee after the drawn first test in Cardiff on Sunday following an operation to repair a torn meniscus this year but is optimistic that he will be fit for the second test starting on Thursday.

Flintoff said he now planned to concentrate on one-day cricket.

"There's a (50 overs) World Cup in 2011," he said. "I'd like to play in the one after that as well because I think there's a lot of cricket left in me.

"I'm giving up test cricket, I'm not giving up cricket. I enjoy the shorter form of the game and I want to be the best I can."