London, Aug 26 - There is some time before Andrew Flintoff's career as a One-day specialist can take off following a surgery that will need a recovery period of at least six weeks.

The 31-year-old Lancasterian has retired from Test cricket to concentrate on the One-day game but his next England match will be months away, possibly not before next summer, following a routine arthroscopy and micro-fracture surgery to two small areas in his right knee.

'The recovery will require him to be non-weight-bearing for the first six to eight weeks post surgery. At the end of this six-to-eight-week period, the knee will be reviewed by his surgeon and the time-scale for ongoing rehabilitation further determined,' the Guardian said, quoting a statement from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).