ANDREW Flintoff's future as an England player this winter hangs in the balance today with tour management facing a decision on whether to allow him to continue in Pakistan.
The Lancashire all-rounder's selection for this winter's trips to Kenya and Pakistan was always conditional on him proving his ability to bowl in the one-day matches before they enter the three-Test series against Pakistan next month.
But after bowling in the nets on Tuesday, he was unable to repeat the feat yesterday and England held a private meeting to discuss both his situation and that of left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, who has not played since injuring his ankle in a warm-up match in Nairobi.
Captain Nasser Hussain has already admitted that Flintoff is "no nearer bowling now than he was when we left England," and if that is the case, the tourists may look to call upon a replacement like Surrey's Alex Tudor.
They could, however, also opt to keep him on tour as a specialist batsman as they did last winter in South Africa and hope his back condition improves enough to be able to contribute 10 overs a day during the Tests.
While England's major worries ahead of their opening one-day warm-up match against a Governor's XI tomorrow centre around injuries, Pakistan have been concentrating on a reported players' revolt less than a week before the start of the one-day international series.
Seven of Pakistan's leading players were believed to be unhappy with coach Javed Miandad's growing influence on team matters and it was believed they had threatened to withdraw from the matches against England if he remained in the post.
The dispute was resolved after talks between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the seven - captain Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ijaz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
The tourists, though, are wary about claiming any encouragement from the rumours and are expecting to line-up against Pakistan's full-strength line-up in the opening one-day international under Karachi's National Stadium lights next Tuesday.
"That's for them to deal with - we just look at them as players on the pitch," stressed Surrey left-hander Graham Thorpe, who has shared the Surrey dressing room with Saqlain Mushtaq for the last three seasons.
"We know what we're up against. They have an extremely talented bowling attack with great variation and their batsmen are very well proven as well.
"If they get distracted by all this then that would be great, but they are professional cricketers as well and they are out to try and win international matches."
The dispute is believed to have been prompted by disagreements over the share-out of the prize money from the recent ICC Knockout Trophy in Nairobi, when they won around £50,000 for reaching the semi-finals.
But after yesterday's talks, PCB chairman Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia claimed the reports were nothing more than speculation and believes both sides are happy with the agreement.
"I read about all that and if there was any disagreement I think the management would have told me," he said. "Both sides tell me there is no dispute - I guess it's just paper talk.
"The players have never said they wanted rid of Javed as coach and it is up to the Board who they appoint as coach. The players asked me only two or three months ago to appoint Javed in that position.
"There are some minor differences, but that is always the case in a family and it is nothing too serious."
Miandad was only re-appointed to the coach's position in March this year having resigned after last year's Sharjah tournament and was given a contract until the end of the 2003 World Cup.
Ironically, Miandad was at the centre of the last major revolt back in 1994-5 when a rebellion led by Waqar against captain Wasim demanding his return after he was dropped for the tour of New Zealand, and although their demands were not met, Salim Malik took over in charge.
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