THE future's bright, the future's red; or at least it is for England's bright young thing Andy Flintoff.

As well as signing a new 12 month deal with his beloved Cricket county, Lancashire, Flintoff is one of 12 England players to be given central contracts from the English Cricket Board.

Now he is working hard to make sure he is ready to face the West Indies for England in the summer.

Flintoff has spent the past three days in Manchester with the rest of the England squad for a fitness assessment as part of the preparations for the visit of the Windies and Zimbabwe this summer. This week he hopes to bowl for the first time since a bad fracture to his foot wrecked his winter tour with England in South Africa.

He has since returned to South Africa with Lancashire for their pre-season tour, but was only allowed to bat. The Grange lad said: "I have only done a bit of bowling in the nets so far but I have yet to bowl in a game.

"It was great to play again, and get out there with a bat. I am pleased with how it went because I am hitting the ball well."

Flintoff returned to England early after picking up the foot injury, and has been training with Lancashire Lynx coach Steve Hampson ever since.

Although things were bleak for Flintoff during the winter, and he admitted at the time it was hard to watch his England team-mates on the telly, he always knew he would bounce back. He said: "I feel fitter than I have ever felt before.

"I am doing a lot more weights and I think that is helping me to hit the ball harder than last year."

Hopefully, Lancashire, as well as England, will reap the benefit of that hard work over the next 12 months.

He added: "I am very happy at Lancashire. They are the team I have always wanted to play for.

"I am so proud that I have won a central contract but as far as club cricket is concerned, Lancashire are the only team for me."

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