With England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff gearing up for his swansong Test, pace bowler James Anderson wants to give his outgoing teammate a fitting farewell by winning the Ashes series.
The five-match series is currently levelled 1-1 and England have to win the final Test, starting on Thursday at The Oval, to wrest the urn from Australia.
"The team would like to give Fred something special to go out with. We want to win regardless, of course, but it would be fantastic if Fred could depart on a high," Anderson said.
"Having him back will help our chances of winning the game and give him opportunity to script his farewell. After the Test career he has had that's what he deserves," he added.
After a knee injury forced him out of the fourth Test in Leeds, where the visitors handed England an innings and 80 runs mauling, Flintoff has been cleared for the decider.
"With Fred, you get a big spell out of him and sometimes, it can be a match-winning spell. He might take only three wickets in the innings, and someone else gets the five-for, but it is Fred who made the difference," Anderson was quoted as saying in 'The Sun'.
The 27-year-old also feels he would miss sharing the England bowling attack with Flintoff.
"I love bowling in tandem with Fred. It benefits me as a bowler. He hits the deck and I swing the ball. It's a nice combination."
