The outgoing chairman of the England and Wales cricket board, Lord MacLaurin, believes Andrew Flintoff did not take his recuperation from a summer hernia operation seriously enough.

Flintoff has missed all three Test match defeats in Australia on the tour so far, but was called on to the field as a substitute during the second Test in Adelaide.

"I think it is unfortunate," MacLaurin told the BBC. "I think players have got to take responsibility for their own fitness and maybe Freddy did not take his recuperation as seriously as he should have done."

"I think Flintoff was doing things in his recuperation that he probably shouldn`t have but that is between me, him and David Graveney (chairman of selectors). Professional footballers are back playing within four or five weeks.

"He had his operation way back in summer and should really have been fit by now. That is something we have got to look at and I know that is something David Graveney is aware of."

MacLaurin defended England`s decision to take Darren Gough, who was eventually sent home after failing to recover from a long-standing knee injury.

"It was a gamble taking Gough but a fit Gough would have been a big plus to our side if he was able to play."

The ECB chairman also warned that there would be no quick fixes to England's plight after the national team's humiliation down under.

"You can`t suddenly wave a magic wand and become best in the world. What you do is put down some foundations for the future, which is what we have done. We set up central contracts as well as the Academy, which is in its second year.

"The Australian side has been going through their Academy, which teaches them the skills of the game and the mental capability to play at the highest level.

"I can understand the reaction by cricket followers about the results in Australia but let us not forget they have just beaten South African and Pakistan out of sight and we have been very, very unfortunate with injuries and have not played our best side.

"We have to be patient. There is no knee-jerk reaction, We have put everything in place for the future and we have just got to see it through now. Our mission statement says we need to be best in the world by 2007 and it is going to take that time.

"Cricket has changed over the years. There has to be a mental capability and a lot of our players really haven't seen that side of cricket before. We have got some very good young players coming through and I would hope that within a couple of years or so our Test side will be made up of most of the players that have come through the Academy.

"There is a tough side to Australian cricket and our county game does not give it to our players. That is why the Academy is so important to us and has been very important to the Australians. There is a mental capability that we can give them that prepares them better for international cricket and that is what we are doing.

"I would like to see this summer a lot of our younger players coming in (to the Test side) and may be it will take a year or so, but give them experience at international level and we will start to build a side like Australia have got."

MacLaurin also repeated his backing for the England captain Nasser Hussain following England's innings defeat at Perth which ensured Australia's retention of the Ashes.

"I have written to Nasser and I think it would be extremely sad if he stepped down," said MacLaurin, who steps down from his position at the end of the year. "We need his experience, we need all the good things that Nasser has to bring the young players into the side.

"He is a tough man and has got a very good partnership with (coach) Duncan Fletcher. I know that Duncan is very keen to keep him, I am certainly very keen to keep him. It would be bad for English cricket if he decided to step away.

"Let`s not have knee-jerk reaction after the very, very disappointing series in Australia. Let`s plan, let`s look at it and then English cricket will flourish.

Yesterday, MacLaurin`s replacement David Morgan, former Glamorgan chairman, also gave Hussain his backing.

"He is still the man to lead England," said Morgan. "Against the background of playing an extremely strong and well-organised Australian team, with depleted forces, I do believe the task for Nasser has been a huge one and it has been a very difficult time for him.

"I will give him every backing and every encouragement, and I am very sympathetic to the huge task he and the team have been facing against a very strong side with depleted forces."

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