Andrew Flintoff has reacted to doubts about his future as an international all-rounder by clinging to the hope he can make a full recovery and recapture his best form for England.

The 29-year-old Lancastrian has been plagued by injuries for most of this year with the latest discomfort in his troublesome left ankle sparking doubts about his participation in the World Twenty20 tournament.

The most recent setback followed a third operation on his left ankle, which sidelined him for most of the season and prompted increased speculation about whether he can ever reach the level of performance he produced to become man of the series in the Ashes against Australia just two years ago.

England bowling coach Allan Donald, who has already suggested Flintoff should try to change his bowling action to reduce the impact on his ankle, is the latest to doubt whether his body can now sustain the battering required to compete in Test cricket.

Donald said: ''My heart tells me I don't think he can compete in the longer version of the game...England cricket and his supporters have to be patient.''

But far from being downcast at fresh doubts over his future, Flintoff is focusing on the next few weeks of limited-overs cricket - the Twenty20 tournament and the one-day series in Sri Lanka which follows - which should determine whether alternative action is required.

''I'm not bothered what is said to be honest,'' stressed Flintoff.

''I'm comfortable with what I'm doing and time will tell what happens either way.

''As an all-rounder I would like to score a few more runs. With playing one game then missing a game it does make it hard to get into a rhythm with your batting.

''I only batted twice during the one-day series because we were playing well and also through missing games and I'm working hard in the nets and I'd like to get my batting back up to standard.

''But I want to be fit as well so I can do my bowling - I'm not here to prove anybody wrong or anything like that, I'm here to perform for the team.''

A fit and firing Flintoff would stand a chance of being player of the tournament with the capability of hitting the ball with awesome power in addition to delivering fast and accurate bowling spells.

His fitness, though, remains a major source of anxiety for England even if Flintoff himself refuses to become too depressed about his miserable recent injury record.

''There's nothing I can do,'' he stressed.

''I'm doing everything physically possible to get myself out onto the cricket field and I'm doing everything treatment-wise and everything in training and my rehab programme."

Flintoff and the rest of the squad practised fielding drills for 90 minutes yesterday before a south-easterly storm ended the session, but he will be required to prove his fitness by bowling in the nets today before tomorrow's opening match against Zimbabwe at Newlands.