Yabba-dabba-don't tell me he is injured again!

England all-rounder Fred Flintstone has returned to England from the IPL to undergo surgery on his right knee after dropping a boulder on it, no doubt.

He is expected to be out of action for three to five weeks (which in Fred speak is usually followed by a hamstring pull, a calf problem and then his ankle will go – so three months!)

The injury prone 31-year-old will miss the two-Test series against West Indies, which starts at Lord's on 6 May. He is expected to be fit for the ICC World Twenty20 in June (when he will no doubt slip a disk getting into a sponsored car) and the Ashes series against Australia which he will commentate on for Sky.

I can’t even bring myself to write the "I told you so" paragraph that should follow this thoroughly disappointing news.

So, instead contend yourself with looking at the catalogue of disasters that makes up a third of Andrew Flintoff’s (no relation) test career…

FLINTOFF'S MISERY
1999 Returned early from South Africa with broken foot
2000 Back injury ended Pakistan tour
2002 Hernia operation and then returns from Ashes tour with groin problem
2003 Missed Zimbabwe series with shoulder injury
2005 Ankle surgery in January
2006 Out for 12 weeks after ankle surgery
2007 More surgery to left ankle
2008 Missed series in New Zealand because of side strain
2007 Missed part of Test and one-day series in West Indies because of hip injury
2009 Missed home Test series against West Indies because of knee injury picked up chasing the cash in 20/20 thrash.

Jardine's Verdict: It could (only could mind) be a blessing in disguise. But the reality is more likely to be that the one area we truly dominate Australia, namely in having a quality all-rounder has been blown out of the water. Time to give Daffy Defreitas a call. Well, he is at least better than Andrew Symonds!