WORCESTER, England (AP)

England fast bowler Steve Harmison is certain his friend Andrew Flintoff will rebound from his disciplinary issues this week in time for the Ashes.

Flintoff, England's leading all-rounder, was reprimanded by team officials and heavily criticised in media after he missed the bus that was taking the team to a war memorial site in Flanders, Belgium on Saturday while on a team-bonding trip.

backlash

Harmison said yesterday that Flintoff will not be affected by the backlash when the Ashes series starts in Cardiff on Wednesday.

"Andrew is a fantastic all-round cricketer and is somebody that this country needs to do well because of what he stands for in this country," Harmison said after the third day of the England Lions' final match against Australia. "He is a larger-than-life character, and if he gets on a roll he will take 18,000 people with him at Cardiff next week.