Flintoff fired up for Kiwis clash

Andrew Flintoff has described England's opening clash against New Zealand as "a huge game in the context of the World Cup".

"It's the two top-seeded teams in the group, both of which will be expecting to go through without taking anything away from Kenya and Canada," said Flintoff.

"The two sides look very similar on paper in the make-up of the teams and they both had success in the winter so it could be a good contest."

Flintoff is determined to make his mark in the Caribbean, adding: "The last World Cup (in South Africa) almost kick-started my career and I'm keen to perform in this one and play a major role for England.

"If you look at other sports the World Cup is the pinnacle of players' careers, and in the one-day format this is it for us - this is what you build for, this is what you want to play in.

"It's exciting, it's a big stage and a chance for people to shine. You want to perform on the biggest stage, that's the measure of a player performing on the big occasions in the big tournaments."