AFTER five weeks off the booze Andy Flintoff is ready to prove his point to the England selectors.

Freddie heads for Sri Lanka on tomorrow ahead of the one day international series in better shape than ever after his tough winter training programme with former Wigan rugby league star Steve Hampson.

The criticism he received for his pizza and lager lifestyle last summer cut deeply. He has now moved out of Manchester city centre to leafy Hale with his girlfriend, and has not touched a drop of alcohol for more than a month.

"I've had three months of pain," he said of the schedule which he has been following under instructions from England, to lose some weight and take the strain off his back.

"I've also been in the nets a couple of days a week but it's not the same as playing outside. The pitches in Sri Lanka will be a bit different from the indoor school at Old Trafford, that's for sure.

"I'm really looking forward to playing some cricket again after all the training I've done." And he is relishing the prospect of batting against his Lancashire team mate Muttiah Muralitharan. "I've only ever faced him before in the nets at Lancashire," said Flintoff. "I was happy to get a bat on him, to be honest. He's an awesome bowler, and I'm not going to build myself up for a fall by saying what I'm going to do against him. I'm just glad he's coming back to Lancashire this year.

"I met up with him for dinner during a one day tournament in Nairobi before Christmas and I know he's looking forward to it. He also said he would show me round Colombo when I get out there."

Flintoff has been to Sri Lanka once before, on an England A tour two winters ago when he made a good impression. He also watched some of England's controversial first Test defeat in Galle on Sky TV so he knows what to expect.

"It's hot and sticky out there, a bit different to what it's been like here this winter," added the 23-year-old. "And looking at the wickets, it seems to be spinning a fair bit. Just right for Murali, so I can't see me facing too many seamers."

England coach Duncan Fletcher phoned Freddie up last week to talk about his likely role in Sri Lanka. But if he plays, it will be purely as a batsman. "I am trying to change my bowling action to ease the pressure on my back, but it's going to be quite a slow process," he explained.

"It doesn't sound like a big thing, changing the position of my feet. But when you've been doing something all your life it takes a lot to change it. I've just started doing some walk-throughs this week, and hopefully I can use the nets in Sri Lanka for rehabilitation and then get going when I come back to Lancashire."

LBM to sponsor Lancs LANCASHIRE have ended their two year search for a major sponsor and will be backed by LBM, a direct marketing firm based in Altrincham, for the next three seasons in a deal worth £750,000.

"It's a bit like those adverts for Remington Steel," jokes marketing executive Geoff Durbin, formerly with Manchester City. "We initially approached LBM to help us find a sponsor but they ended up taking it on themselves.

"They're really excited by what we've got to offer, with all the other things at Old Trafford as well as the team. And it's great to have sponsors who are so keen to get involoved." Lancashire will wear the LBM logo on all their kit, starting when they leave for their pre season trip to South Africa on Thursday.

FLINTOFF READY FOR ACTIO