I want to be the best player in ODIs, says Flintoff

London: England's talented but injury-plagued allrounder Andrew Flintoff wants to become the best player in the world in limited overs cricket after announcing on Wednesday he is quitting Test matches.

Flintoff, 31, has endured regular injury since making his Test debut in 1998 against South Africa, when he was criticized for being overweight as a flabby 20-year-old.

Having got his body in shape and gone on to be man of the series against World Cup holders Australia in 2005, he was rarely fit for a prolonged period. This has ultimately ended a Test career that seemingly had more to offer.

"I've had four ankle operations and knee surgery my body is telling me things, I'm actually starting to listen now," Flintoff told reporters on Wednesday at Lord's, where he hopes to play the second Ashes test against Australia in his farewell series.

"I can't keep just playing games here and there, waiting until I'm fit. Not just for my own sanity but my family's. They have to live with me, as I've gone through two years of rehab in the past four. It's not been ideal so I'm going to draw a line under it and after this series concentrate on one-day international cricket and Twenty20s."

"We've got a (50-over) World Cup coming up in 2011 and I would like to play on after that as well. There is a lot of cricket left in me. I want to be the best in the world in that form of the game."

Flintoff has played 76 Tests, though one of those was for a World XI against Australia. He currently has 3,708 runs in Tests at an average of 31.69, with five centuries the last of which was four years ago against Australia.

He has been relied upon more in recent years for his hostile bowling, which has accrued him 219 wickets at 32.51. Despite being recognized as one of the world's best bowlers, he has just two five-wicket hauls in a Test innings.

"If you look through his bare statistics they probably don't read that flatteringly, but as far as someone who has an impact on how a team plays and performs, then he's got to be right up there," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.

England skipper Andrew Strauss agreed that Flintoff, nicknamed Fred or Freddie, has been a better player at least as a bowler than his statistics suggest.

"He's had a dramatic impact for England over the last few years," Strauss said. "He's a been a bowler in world cricket who opposition batsmen don't like facing even though his stats do not show that."