• Flintoff will continue to play ODIs and Twenty20 for England
• All-rounder wants to be world’s best limited-overs player

Andrew Flintoff has set his sights on becoming the world’s best limited-overs player after confirming he will retire from Test cricket at the end of this summer’s Ashes series. The England all-rounder, who has suffered a string of injuries over the past few years, hopes retiring from Test cricket will allow him to prolong his career sufficiently that he can represent England at the World Cup in 2015.

“I don’t think anything can generate as much excitement as an Ashes series,” admitted Flintoff. “But I enjoy the short form of the game and I want to be the best I can possibly can at that. I want to focus all my attention and all my energy on being the best in the world at that form of the game.

“One of the things about playing one-day cricket is that we’ve got a World Cup coming up in 2011, but I’d like to play in the one after that as well – there’s a lot of cricket left in me and there’s the focus of wanting to be the best in the world at that form of the game.”

Flintoff, who has a year left on his contract with Lancashire and Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings, hopes to continue playing one-day cricket and Twenty20 for both sides, as well as for England.

“I still have enthusiasm to play one-day cricket but there is obviously sadness there and I’ve finally had to acknowledge where I’m at in Test cricket with regards to my body,” he said. “I can’t grumble too much because I’ve played 75 Tests and if someone had said I would play that many I would have snapped their hand off.

“I started at 20 and I was rubbish and I’ve managed to carry on until now. I am a little upset by it because I’m only 31 but I’ve played a lot of cricket and I’ve got four more Tests to go.”

Flintoff sought advice from former England all-rounder Ian Botham, former captain Michael Vaughan and ex-team-mate Ashley Giles before making his decision, but said that ultimately it was his own body that told him to stop.

“Since 2005 I’ve had two years when I’ve done nothing but rehab from one injury or another,” said Flintoff. “It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a while and I think this last problem I’ve had with my knee has confirmed to me that the time is now right.

“I’ve been through four ankle operations, I had knee surgery just a couple of months ago and had three jabs in my knee on Monday just to get me right for this Test so I took that as my body telling me that I can’t cope with the rigours of Test cricket.”

Flintoff has missed 62 of 138 England Tests since making his debut against South Africa in 1998, and on top of the injuries mentioned has suffered a fracture to his foot, and a number of back and hip complaints. Despite this, he was named man of the series during England’s Ashes win in 2005, and said he was determined to go out on a high.

“For the next four Test matches I’ll do everything I need to do to get on a cricket field and I’m desperate to make my mark,” said Flintoff. “I want to finish playing for England on a high and if you look at the fixtures going forward, the way my body is suggests I won’t be able to get through that.”

Reflecting on the timing of his announcement, Flintoff said he felt compelled to make it now in order to allow the team to “move on”. “They can’t keep waiting for me to get fit or for me to play a game here and there,” said Flintoff. “They need to give someone else a chance to make their way in the game.”

“I would have liked to have stamped my mark more, but I had three years from 2003 to 2005 when I had everything going my own way. I got a few man-of-the-series awards on the bounce and I tried wholeheartedly and gave my best every time I went out there.

“Since 2005 I have just been plagued with injury so I’ve got the opportunity now to finish on a high by helping England to win the Ashes and it will give me great pleasure if I can play my last Test at the Oval and we can win the Ashes – it doesn’t get any bigger than that.”

Flintoff’s contract with Lancashire ends next year and he plans talks with captain Glen Chapple, chief executive Jim Cumbes and coach Peter Moores to determine his future with the club he has played for since being a schoolboy.

“I’ve not spoken to Lancashire about that yet and I still have a year of my contract left with them and I will have to discuss with them what the best way forward is,” he said. “I’ve given up Test cricket because my body can’t cope so playing four-day cricket could also be a problem, particularly as the fixtures come thick and fast.”

But despite the obvious temptation to play one last time in a Test match at Lord’s, Flintoff insists he will only play this week if his body is fit enough to withstand the rigours of playing against Australia. “I’ve chatted to Andrew Strauss and he is very supportive but I will make my decision on whether I will be fit enough to play in the Test match and not because I want to play one last Test for England at Lord’s,” he said.

Steve Harmison has been called into England’s 14-man squad as cover for Flintoff, though the all-rounder may yet play in the second Test at Lord’s. Flintoff had a cortisone injection to the knee following the drawn first Test in Cardiff, and batted both outdoors and indoors yesterday but did not bowl. The England coach Andy Flower said yesterday that a decision on the all-rounders availability would be made “in the next couple of days”.