England 'strong as ever': Flintoff

Despite a woeful World Cup showing, former allrounder Andrew Flintoff says England are as "strong as we've ever been".

England failed to progress from the group stage in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, unable to beat a full-member nation in the six-week tournament.

But Flintoff believes England are "on the cusp of something special" and that the early World Cup exit shouldn't weigh down Alastair Cook's Test unit.

"I played in four World Cups and we were terrible in all of them," Flintoff told BBC.

"But it seems that the side that is playing, they seem to carry the baggage around for everyone else's World Cup before them.

"It didn't go well, obviously, however that's gone now and the side can now focus on Test cricket.

"They're playing in the West Indies, they've started quite well.

"They've got a series against New Zealand and then everyone is talking about the Ashes already.

"I look at the team England has got, I look at the batters, I look at the bowlers with Jimmy Anderson leading the side, and I think we're probably as strong as we ever have been.

"I think they're just lacking a little bit of confidence." 

Watch: Cook's struggles continue in Antigua

And Flintoff says England's future fortunes start at the top with captain Cook.

Cook failed in both innings of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua, stretching his century drought to 690 days and 61 international matches.

In that time, Cook retained the Ashes in England before losing them in humiliating fashion in the 5-0 whitewash the following summer.

A home Test defeat to Sri Lanka was the rock bottom last winter, but a 3-1 series win over a lacklustre India papered over the cracks to some extent.

But if England are to challenge Australia in the five-Test match Ashes series starting July 8 in Cardiff, Flintoff says the skipper needs to get back among the runs.

"The captain will hopefully start scoring some runs," he said.

"Alastair Cook is someone that I'd have leading the side every day of the week – such an impressive player, one of the England all-time great batsmen.

"Hopefully over the next few months they're going to gain some confidence, go in to an Australia series having a genuine chance."