But we don't want Fred bowling millions of overs when conditions aren't in his favour. It is important to look after him. A lot depends on how much bowling he does this Test match. But as he said, he is very keen to play in the remaining three Test matches. I think he'll be doing everything he can to make sure he's available for those,' Strauss was quoted as saying by The Times.

Both Flintoff and Pietersen, who has also been ruled out of the series, aggravated their injuries while playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). Strauss feels that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will soon have to redress the question of balancing the needs of the national team against players' desire to maximise their earnings.

'It is a difficult decision for the ECB to make. You can't stop players playing on the basis they might get injured. If they are fit to play then there is a case for them going, but at the same time we have to manage workloads because there is a lot of cricket for them to play. It is a big debate to have and both myself and the ECB are going to be involved in that,' Strauss added.