White gets the call to cover Flintoff

England today called up Craig White to their Ashes squad as cover for injured all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

White has been playing grade cricket in Adelaide for the past two weeks and will fly to Perth tomorrow in time for the three-day match against Western Australia starting on Monday.

Flintoff today travelled in the opposite direction for further treatment on his hernia injury that is likely to rule him out of the First Test in Brisbane starting on 7 November.

The 32-year-old White, who has only recently himself recovered from the side strain that forced him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy, made an unbeaten 94 in the Second Test against India last summer.

"Craig performed well against India this summer and is now fully recovered from injury," said England coach Duncan Fletcher. "He will provide us with cover in the all-rounder position until Andrew Flintoff is able to return to competitive cricket."

White is a like-for-like replacement for Flintoff and was preferred ahead of Surrey's Alex Tudor and the young Lancashire fast bowler James Anderson.