After missing their star all-rounder for the past 18 months of Test cricket, England will be delighted to have the Andrew Flintoff of old back in their ranks tomorrow. But the player is more ambitious. No matter the balmy highs of 2005, he believes that his real golden years may lie ahead.

Flintoff's presence in the team for the second npower Test against South Africa starting at Headingley Carnegie tomorrow will lift a bowling attack that spent three successive days in the field at Lord's even more than the news that Neil McKenzie may be forced to miss out because of a groin injury suffered during his 447-ball epic in the second innings.

Ryan Sidebottom, whose back problem will be reassessed this morning, James Anderson and Stuart Broad accepted the invitation to rest yesterday after their exertions. As Flintoff, 30, charged in at close to full speed in the nets, some of the batsmen may have wished that they had exercised their option to miss the session.

Despite England's disappointment of drawing at Lord's after dominating the early stages, Flintoff does not see a specific role in lifting the players. “I will give what I can,” he said. “I have a responsibility to do that, but they do not need turning around. I am just going to try to make a difference with the brand of cricket I try to play. I cannot be worried about what people say. Whenever I play, even for Lancashire, there are always cameras, media and press. If I get a fifty or a first-baller, there seems to be interest. But I cannot put too much pressure on myself. It is a little bit like a new beginning, a fresh start trying to fit into the side.

“One thing about my bowling is that I did not start properly until I was 24 or 25, so I have a better grasp of it and a bit more craft now. With the bat I have been making strides these past few weeks and batsmen reach their peak in their early 30s, so I hope that is just around the corner.”

South Africa said from the start of the tour that they expected to face Flintoff sooner rather than later. Now that he is back, they believe that his presence will take some of the attention and pressure away from their fast bowlers, who failed to live up to the considerable hype - much of it from their own dressing-room - in the build-up to the first Test at Lord's.

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, predicted that Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel will be ranked No1 and No2 in the ICC tables within the next two years, but Steyn in particular underperformed last week. Arthur attributed that to a fault in his delivery, which has been corrected. “These guys are world class,” he said.

Such a description fitted Flintoff before third and fourth operations on his left ankle since his most recent Test appearance, in Sydney in 2007, when Australia completed their 5-0 whitewash.

Arthur admitted that it is Flintoff the bowler rather than the batsman who worries South Africa most. “He bowls particularly well bowling around the wicket, especially at left-handers, and we have done a bit of work on that at practice,” Arthur said. “I do not know who will be the unlucky one to miss out for England, but if it is Paul Collingwood then Flintoff at six will put a lot of pressure on their top order.

“I do think he will be under a little bit of pressure coming into this Test match. If we are to conquer England, we want to do it against their best side. Flintoff heightens the challenge and it is good to see one of the best players in the world playing again. I am pretty sure he will be up for it.”

A decision on McKenzie, who had ultra-sound treatment yesterday, may be left as late as tomorrow morning. Arthur said that J.P. Duminy, a 24-year-old left-hander who is uncapped at Test level but has a first-class average of almost 50, would come in as a straight switch, leaving the stylish A.B. de Villiers, who has opened, at No6.

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