YORKSHIRE’S leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who has not yet played a match for his county in this season’s domestic Twenty20 Cup, has been called up to England’s World Twenty20 squad as a replacement for injured all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

The ECB yesterday confirmed that Flintoff would not be fit for June, 5 after recent surgery to his right knee, but then sprung a surprise by calling up Rashid.

The 21-year-old has been left out of Yorkshire’s first two 20-over games, with director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon and captain Anthony McGrath preferring to go with the extra seamer.

“Andrew Flintoff’s bad luck is certainly good news for Adil,” said Moxon, shortly after the announcement.

It now seems almost certain that Rashid will play in tomorrow’s meeting with Lancashire at Headingley: “Myself and Anthony were discussing that at Old Trafford (on Tuesday) before we even knew about Adil’s call up,” added Moxon.

Rashid will link up with England on Saturday, but Flintoff faces a race to prove his fitness for this summer’s Ashes.

Flintoff was initially optimistic he could still feature in the Twenty20 tournament.

But despite making what an ECB statement describes as ‘‘an excellent recovery’’, Flintoff is not fit enough to play and will now continue his rehabilitation with Lancashire physio Dave Roberts as he attempts to return for the opening Ashes Test in Cardiff on July 8.

‘‘Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee,’’ confirmed Nick Peirce, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s chief medical officer.

‘‘He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practising this week.’’