“England too reliant on Flintoff”

"It’s a big loss for England. I always said England needed to balance his bowling with his batting if they wanted him to survive longer in Test cricket," Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly said.

"With England, every time they are under pressure it is Freddie with the ball because he is their best bowler.

"He’s a big boy and injuries are part and parcel of sport, but there are other fast bowlers around the world who are running in and keep playing and doing well in Test matches.

"I think this has a lot to do with Freddie’s body and at the end of the day he had to make a call on which version of the game he wants to play the most."

He said: "I think it more about Freddie Flintoff’s body than the rigours of international cricket. To be honest it’s the amount of bowling he does for England."

"You enjoy every day of Test cricket because you know it’s going to be your last," he added.

"You don’t have any pressures on because you know you don’t have selection issues to worry about after the series.

"You also play with a lot more freedom and with Freddie that is probably when he plays at this best."