theguardian.com /London


Lancashire have downplayed suggestions Andrew Flintoff could make a shock playing comeback in the rebranded Twenty20 Blast competition this summer without ruling out the possibility entirely.
Paul Allott, the former England seamer who is on the board at Old Trafford, confirmed in his role as a Sky Sports commentator that Flintoff has been “batting and bowling in the nets” in recent weeks. But Allott rejected a claim in the Mail on Sunday that Lancashire are trying to persuade the 36-year-old to make himself available for the T20 tournament, which begins in less than a fortnight.
“There is an awfully long way to go before that happens,” said Allott, which would seem to rule out any possibility of Flintoff playing at Nottinghamshire on Friday week, or their home opener against Worcestershire the following night.
“We haven’t asked him to come back, and he hasn’t come to us saying he wants to play. He has been down at the ground over the last couple of months, mentoring the academy and helping a couple of the other players. He has been more than useful helping the lads. Who knows if it will come to more than that?”
Flintoff has not played competitive cricket of any form since the fifth Test of the 2009 Ashes series, when he famously ran out Ricky Ponting, before undergoing further surgery on the left knee that had troubled him throughout the later stages of his playing career.
He then required a shoulder reconstruction after winning a heavyweight boxing bout in Manchester in December 2012, raising further questions about his ability to mount a cricketing comeback  certainly at any level beyond the Northern League T20 matches in which he hopes to play with various generations of his family and friends this summer with his old club, St Annes.

Pietersen to open cricket
academies in Dubai, India


Former England star batsman Kevin Pietersen will launch a cricket academy in Dubai, and will follow it with another academy in India.
“I am going to start a cricket academy in Dubai in October. The venue is not confirmed yet but it will be a state-of-the-art facility. There will be various courses which will be taught and we will train kids from the age of seven to 18,”
Pietersen, who was sacked from the England team in February, said. The former England captain said he chose Dubai, which is also the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (ICC), because of the centrality of the emirate.
“We chose Dubai because of its central location. The facilities there are magnificent. The opportunity arose last year and we grabbed it. We are expecting kids from all around the world and will also be funding disadvantaged kids,” said the 33-year-old. Pietersen, who is also the captain of the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, said India will be the second location for his academy.
“After Dubai, the second academy is going to be set up in India for sure. It is high on priority,” said Pietersen.