DUBAI // Andrew Flintoff, the England all-rounder, will not be content to just be a one-day specialist if he returns from a career-threatening knee injury.
Flintoff is in Dubai recovering from double surgery on his troublesome right knee and had been expected to play limited-overs cricket for England, Chennai Super Kings and Lancashire following his rehabilitation.
But he has now recalibrated his expectations, believing his body could stand up to the rigours of four-day cricket with Lancashire, his English county side. The news will raise the hopes of England fans that Flintoff could make a dramatic return to Test cricket, possibly against Australia later this year.
Whether England, who have adapted well to life without their talismanic all-rounder, would consider picking the 32-year-old again is a moot point.
When asked if he harbours a return to the Test arena, Flintoff said: "I would love to play Test cricket again, but the reason I retired was because you can get injured. One of the reasons was because I didn't think I could do it physically but if you ask any Test cricketer who's retired they would say they would love to play again," he added.
"I've still got a lot of ambition. I still believe that when I'm fit and playing well I can get into England's best side.
"To go through six months of rehab again just for one-day cricket, the incentive wouldn't be enough," he continued. "I want to help Lancashire win something.
"My priorities have changed. I thought I was only going to be able to play one-day cricket for England and Lancashire but I've spoken to the surgeon and I'm confident that I will be able to play four-day cricket for Lancashire."
Flintoff underwent major knee surgery in August and then developed deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. He then underwent an arthroscopic operation two weeks ago and was walking with a limp yesterday.
"At least I'm not back on crutches," he said. "The surgeon says it's mending well and it's all going great."
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Look%20Both%20Ways
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Wanuri%20Kahiu%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lili%20Reinhart%2C%20Danny%20Ramirez%2C%20David%20Corenswet%2C%20Luke%20Wilson%2C%20Nia%20Long%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
