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Nottingham: Andrew Flintoff has rejected the offer of an England incremental contract, the all-rounder announced on Tuesday, a move that effectively saw him become a freelance player.
The 31-year-old, who retired from Test cricket after England's Ashes triumph last month and who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, said his decision would help him become the best one-day international player in the world.
While stressing he remained committed to both Lancashire and England, Flintoff said in a statement on his own website: "I said when I retired from Test cricket my ambition was to become the best one-day and Twenty20 player in the world and playing in all these different countries can only help."
Flintoff was only available for an England incremental contract, worth some 30,000 pounds, rather than the more lucrative central contract because of his retirement from Tests.
An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman told reporters here at Trent Bridge, where England eventually lost the fifth one-day international against Australia to go 5-0 down in a seven-match series, said that they would not react immediately.
"We have only just received the statement so we need some time to digest it properly and consider where the ECB stands before making a considered response."
Flintoff, currently recovering from knee surgery, retired from Test cricket after the end of England's Ashes triumph last month because he said his injury-hit body could no longer stand the strain of the five-day game.
After Tuesday's four-wicket loss, England captain Andrew Strauss told reporters: "I don't know why he's turned it down. We need to find out what the reasons are and then make an informed decision.
"If Freddie is committed to playing for England, he's still a great asset for us in the shorter forms of the game."
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who recently announced his retirement from international Twenty20s, was sympathetic, saying: "You can't begrudge players like Flintoff doing that, his body has forced him into (Test) retirement.
Flintoff, provided his rehabilitation goes smoothly, hopes to return to international cricket on England's tour of Bangladesh in February, play for Chennai in the IPL and then compete in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies which starts in April.
