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andrew-flintoff
KP, Fred; talent, love, respect
By Will 2 months ago, No Comments; be the first!
Great piece from Andrew Miller on the differences in public perception of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
No Comments »Yet Pietersen’s devotion to excellence is the very same attribute that alienates him from a fickle British public. From the days of Henry Cooper through to Eddie the Eagle and Frank Bruno, plucky and personable underdogs have always trumped sportsmen with genuine claims to greatness.
“It is peculiar how Pietersen is portrayed,” says a media colleague who has worked with him at close quarters. “He claims not to read the papers but that is definitely not the case. He takes criticism very personally and he is certainly not happy about it. I suspect the South African link will never allow him to be the Freddie-esque man of the people he so craves to be.”
According to Paul Burnham, founder of the Flintoff-worshipping Barmy Army, Pietersen’s persona is a direct challenge, for better or worse, to everything that British sports fans hold dear. “At the moment we are what we are as a culture. Personally I love it and wouldn’t want to change it, even though it isn’t what you want if you want to win all the time,” he says. “Freddie is old school and England’s fans can relate to that, whereas Pietersen is probably the most misunderstood cricketer there is. He’s got a really friendly personality but for some reason people don’t like his body language. He exudes confidence but it comes across as arrogance.”
“I think Fred comes across exactly the same as me,” says Gough. “He’s a bit of a joker who likes a drink and he plays his cricket in the right spirit. KP is slightly different. He’d take a wine bar over a pub any day, and that’s not a knock at him. He just enjoys that buzz and that edge about being a top-class sportsman. But because he wasn’t brought up in this country he still doesn’t quite understand how things work and how people look upon celebrities. It can be a difficult place if you make it a difficult place.”
Flintoff unlikely to play at Headingley
By Will last year, at the start of August, 1 Comment »
Not looking good. Straight shoot-out between Sidebottom and Harmison – my money’s on the former. Meanwhile – will Stuart Clark and Brett Lee come back? Lee’s impressed in the nets; will he be thrown into the deep?
1 Comment »Flintoff’s bulging wallet
By Will last year, mid-July, No Comments; be the first!
If you’re worried that Flintoff’s retirement might mean he holidays in Cornwall instead of Corfu, fear not. He’s not daft.
No Comments »Flintoff retires
By Will last year, mid-July, 3 Comments »
The timing appeared odd at first, 24 hours before a Test, but in fact Flintoff’s done the right thing. Now, England can move on. At last. Truth be told they’ve been trying to move on from Flintoff almost since he reached his heights in 2005, a pinnacle he sadly never came really close to reaching again, though his bowling continued to improve. Statistically, he goes down as an average cricketer, but those who saw him bowl at his best – and on the rare occasions, bat at his best – will never forget what an awesome, terrifying, wonderful sight it could be. Sad that it was so rare, but his impact on the game has been positive and long-standing. Every sport fan in Britain knows who Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff is, and hopefully he’s inspired a new generation to follow him.
My favourite Flintoff moment came long before 2005, in 2003, when he was just beginning to prove his worth. It was against South Africa, and he flayed Shaun Pollock and others through extra cover – always in front of square – with the most clean-striking, clinical, free-flowing hitting I’d ever seen. I still haven’t seen anyone hit the ball as cleanly as he did in those innings, shots so clean that they bounced just once before smashing into the boundary. Chris Gayle hits them long, but what made Flintoff so unique in that particular season was his disregard of length; even mis-hits fled to the boundary, and I remember Viv Richards watching and laughing at how fun it was. That was my Freddie moment.
Since then – Edgbaston, obviously, and The Over to Ponting in 2005. But his over to Jacques Kallis, last year, was better, faster, deadlier and incapsulated everything Flintoff offered not only as a bowler of supreme skill, but as an entertainer. That it was against one of the world’s best, in his pomp, with a defensive technique of the world’s envy only emphasised Flintoff’s quality as a fast bowler. And that it culminated in a yorker meant that Flintoff not only had his man, but it was as though he’d delivered the ultimate knockout blow. Watch it and smile, and offer your own favourite moments in a tear-jerking tribute below.
His best, of course, could be yet to come…
3 Comments »Flintoff proves his bowling worth
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-April, 1 Comment »
Just how good is Andrew Flintoff ? At 140-6, needing 33 runs to win off just 16 balls, the West Indies were knocking down the door at England. Denesh Ramdin was thick edging for four, there were singles everywhere and the game looked to be headed right down to the thinnest of wires. Step forward, Freddie. Probably one of the best death bowlers in the world right now, Flintoff fired out Ramdin with a fast leg stump yorker. That alone may have ended the host’s pursuit but it wasn’t enough for Flintoff. He then trapped LBW new man Ravi Rampaul with a quick, full delivery before achieving both his hat-trick and a five-wicket haul with another yorker to Sulieman Benn.
Flintoff, tired, battle hardened and at the end of a long, long tour, had won the game and, more importantly, the series for England in the space of three balls. His nonchalant celebration upon bowling Benn did a fine job of hiding the jubilation he was likely feeling inside. Injuries and defeat had ravaged Flintoff’s tour to the point where Kevin Pietersen was probably not alone in wanting to head home as soon as possible. His batting has come in for more criticism after, one innings aside, a painfully lean period. But his bowling is an impossibly vital component in England’s one day planning. He is frighteningly accurate, has the ability to mix up his pace to confuse the batsman and take crucial wickets when needed. The man really is worth his weight in gold.
He becomes the third Englishman to take a hat trick in one day cricket. The other two? You’d hardly believe it. James Anderson and Steve Harmison. The next time England are getting carted to all corners of the ground in a one day match, will you honestly believe that three of the bowlers on display have one day hat tricks to their names?
1 Comment »Strauss the captain
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of February, 2 Comments »
‘I am the master of my destiny; I am the captain of my soul.’
I wonder if, by any chance, Andrew Strauss is a fan of William Ernest Henley? His above quote is entirely appropriate for the England captain. His sublime, bold innings of 142 on the first day of the Fourth Test wasn’t merely a sole brilliant innings, drifting alone in a sea of low scores. It was his second big hundred of the series following on from that majestic 169 in Antigua. Both innings have come just after his captaincy of the side has been announced – a coincidence? Not on your life.
Strauss’ world class form is fundamentally linked to him being appointed captain. When in charge of the team, he is as confident as the gargantuan slog sweep for six that brought up his hundred in Barbados. The Jamaica debacle aside, Strauss has been quite brilliant with the bat this series and it follows his twin centuries in Chennai earlier this winter, made in much trickier conditions. Yes, the pitches so far this series may be as flat and as batsman friendly as your local village green but take nothing away from Strauss. His batting is ridiculously formidable at the moment and will hopefully tide over into that small matter of the Ashes later this summer.
It is not the first time Strauss’ batting and his captaincy have had a concurrent relationship. Way back in the heady days of 2006, when Monty Panesar was still a hugely promising young bowler, running rings round the Pakistani batsmen, Strauss was made captain in Andrew Flintoff’s enforced absence. He duly cracked two counter attacking second innings hundreds in the series and helped himself to as much acclaim from as many quarters as possible. He even wedged himself into contention to captain that winter’s Ashes series down under; he lost out to Andrew Flintoff and we all know what happened there.
Strauss’ form dipped dramatically from that moment on, likely as a result of his casting aside from the England selectors. He had a poor Ashes series, registering only one score of over fifty in the drubbing at Melbourne and proceeded to be equally as profligate in the home series with the West Indies and India. Without a Test hundred since that Pakistan series, he was dropped for the series in Sri Lanka, where England took something of a pasting, and managed to scrap his way back onto the tour of New Zealand. He hit a staggeringly huge hundred, although he was hardly at his convincing best and then reinforced his position with some sporadically good performances over that following summer. All of which has led to the Strauss that we now find ourselves with.
Strauss isn’t the only man to see his batting flourish in the role of captain. Many lament Flintoff’s captaincy and his form during the brief and painful time he was in charge but perhaps those critics forget his first few Tests in charge. Four consecutive fifties in four innings in India helped England to a famous draw, immediately after he was tossed into the breach as captain. It is noteworthy that his bowling also earned him a whole dictionaries worth of superlatives.
And who can forget Kevin Pietersen’s hundred at the Oval last summer in his first game as captain? There were concerns that the leadership of the side would hinder his explosive style of batting but Pietersen combined attacking flamboyance with restrained defence to score a wonderful century (before getting out next ball). He also weighed in with a supreme 144 in India this winter, even finding the time to unveil his unique switch hitting abilities.
Captaincy of a side can drive a man to great things. One needs only observe Ricky Ponting’s single minded determination to win back the Ashes in 2006. Ponting, found liable by many an Australian media outlet for the defeat in the 2005 Ashes, embodied a man possessed as he scored a massive volume of runs, crushing English spirit and hopes and showing his own side the way forward. His 196 in Brisbane was a master class of batting and a pure example of a captain showing his team what is possible. And don’t forget Graeme Smith’s courageous, match-winning 154 not out at Edgbaston against England last summer. Here was a man and a captain so determined to win a game and a series for his nation that he closed his mind to the possibility of getting out or anything else and just batted and batted and batted.
Strauss’ performances so far as captain have only served to reinforce the theory that his batting form is inextricably linked with the captaincy. Maybe it is just an ego thing, a man desperate for his name to be up in lights. Or maybe it’s just a man charged with representing and leading his country by example. Maybe it’s the responsibility that sits so well with Strauss – the need to back up his position with good scores and the desire to not have his authority or his place undermined. Either way, it’s extremely refreshing to see Strauss in such good form and providing there are no more dramas regarding English captaincy between now and July, then he could be in the best possible position to perform his own version of Ponting’s 2006 heroics and seriously murder some inexperienced Australian bowling. Here’s hoping the rest of the team can follow the example.
2 Comments »England’s bowling attack
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-February, 3 Comments »
Is it just me or do England have a seriously good looking attack on display in the current Test match? Speed-wise, even the most skeptical of cricket fans would have to admit it’s impressive. Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and, to a slightly lesser extent, Stuart Broad are all genuinely capable of the odd delivery in excess of 90 mph and they give the captain a wealth of options.
Harmison is painfully erratic and may well be a spent force but he is still capable of rattling his opponents, even if his days are becoming increasingly numbered. Flintoff is as reliable and dangerous as ever and Broad is a developing into a threatening force, fresh from his maiden five wicket haul in Jamaica last week. Jimmy Anderson, like Harmison, can be inconsistent but his pace is an asset and he can be a genuine strike bowler, especially when the ball is swinging (anyone remember 7-43 against New Zealand in Nottingham?).
But the decision to replace Monty Panesar with Graeme Swann could also be the most important one. Panesar’s recent struggles are heavily documented and he was out-bowled by Swann during England’s toiling in India. Swann’s ability with the willow also means England can potentially bat down to 9, so if he can turn it on with the ball in the way that Panesar hasn’t been able to for a while, then England will surely be forced to give him a run in the side.
Far be it from me to play the role of England selector, but the current bowling attack would probably be my first choice to play when the Aussies come to town in July. I would allow a bit of room for change over the spinner, as Panesar, for all his troubles, is capable of being dangerous but if you pinned me down and asked me for a set of names, then I’d be happy to give you this lot. It’s harsh on Ryan Sidebottom but he’d always be in contention to play, dependant on the conditions. The same goes for Simon Jones, although he may or may not ever be fit again.
Thoughts - would anyone rather see Monty back? Is there still life in Harmison? Answers on a postcard please.
3 Comments »All to play for
By Mark Tilley last year, at the start of February, 20 Comments »
The first test is evenly poised – England were slightly disappointing with the bat but still managed to post a competitive total. With the ball, they were admirable but the gargantuan partnership between Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan meant that damage limitation was always going to be the objective. Having said that, England fought their way back into it, led by the irrepressible Andrew Flintoff.
The fourth day looms with the West Indies holding a slender 34 run lead, with three wickets left. If England can wrap up the innings quickly then a good second innings could set up a victory charge on the final day. However, Brendan Nash currently stands in their way, having repelled everything England threw at him last night in a painfully slow but important innings. If the Windies can forge a lead of over 60 or 70 then the pressure will all be on England.
England? Pressure? No problem. It’s not like they’re prone to a batting collapse when trying to save the game, although Adelaide in 2006 and Hamilton in 2008 do spring to mind. However, having put the mockers on England, my money is on the draw. The Windies have looked impressive so far, much more disciplined than what many have come to expect from them. England have fought it out but haven’t been at their best and with two days to go, the only chance of a victory for either team is a massive effort from whoever wants it most. Like I said, I think they’ll settle on a draw and move on.
Thoughts on the outcome of the game?
20 Comments »Flintoff and KP record-breaking millionaires
By Will last year, at the start of February, 10 Comments »
Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen have both broken the IPL record, each netting a cool US$1.55million. Holy moly.
Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood were sold for a frankly pathetic $US275,000 while Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara remain unsold, unwanted – the runts of this latest litter of shame.
So Hampshire and Lancashire will both be getting US$155,000 for Pietersen and Flintoff’s involvement in the IPL – a factor which the players are a bit peeved about. But, still, England’s most marketable and successful players can nevertheless eye up a new house, or car. Or a farm perhaps. Small off-licence selling cheap whiskey, wine gums and sellotape? It’s surprising how people turn to local shops in a recession – these are the things Flintoff and Pietersen will have to consider very carefully in the coming months.
What should they do with their loot? I have a feeling Flintoff’ll be sensible, after drinking 1% of it, whereas Pietersen will invest in a Humvee for tootling around town.
10 Comments »My top Ashes ten
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of October, 2 Comments »
I offered my top ten Ashes heroes for Patrick Kidd’s excellent series, which you can find below. It’s by far from definitive: basically my favourites, the ones I’ve most enjoyed in action or having read about. Nevertheless: cuss me in the comments if you wish.
Our guest blogger this week, to go with the continuing series on Ashes Heroes, is Will Luke, bright young thing of the Cricinfo stable, tabloid fodder and something of a grandfather in the blogging world as he began his Corridor blog way back in 2004, rather than surfing the post-Ashes euphoria like the rest of us. Here’s who he has picked as his ten Ashes heroes:
Richie Benaud The consummate allrounder on the pitch (a fine Ashes captain in the 50s too) and the voice for a generation (or two) in the commentary box. His MCC Masterclass (circa early 1990s) on leg spin is a hidden gem for young, aspiring leggies.
Douglas Jardine A rare Englishman whose name makes Australians flinch. And he didn’t care if they were made to flinch by his tactics, either.
Steve Waugh Embittered, determined, mostly ugly but wonderfully free-flowing if needed. Never, ever defeated and nearly always rose to the biggest of occasions time and again. Unflinchingly stubborn and the first Australian I begrudgingly had to admit to myself that, yes, he was probably a hero.
Shane Warne If perhaps not the single biggest factor in Australia’s Ashes dominance in the 1990s, then certainly the most entertaining cricketer and character in a generation. Love rat extrordinaire.
Dennis Lillee A menacing, angry figure. Unbelievably skilful. The Ashes footage I watched (sadly on video) of him bowl will always stick in my mind.
Darren Gough The heart of ten lions and gave hope that anything was possible when clearly it wasn’t. You’d want him in a war trench just for his optimism.
Ian Botham Everything was possible. 1981, yadda yadda.
Andrew Flintoff Everything is possible. I don’t think any Englishman had struck an Australian for bigger sixes than those sky-scraping missiles he whacked in 2005. His over to Ponting was gold-dust.
Glenn McGrath He always seemed to gain a yard in pace against England. That was my/our feeble excuse. Bastardly metronomic yet a wonderfully unhinged interviewee. In fact, he was just wonderfully unhinged.
Adam Gilchrist It wasn’t enough that Australia had McGrath, Warne and the Waughs. No. They had to produce this dynamo of uninhibited savagery and, worst of all, he was unfailingly honest and polite to boot. An all-round git of an entertainer who created the new breed of batsman-wicketkeeper.
5-0; and Flintoff at three
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of September, 1 Comment »
I try not to get all partisan on this blog. But, bloody hell, come on England – wrap this up 5-0. It’ll be an immense achievement, even though the idea is still utterly bonkers. I mean, it’s just ridiculous, isn’t it? England and one-day cricket have had a relationship as turbulent as Blair and Brown, bless their red socialist socks.
However (there’s always a however on this blog), India is going to be a much tougher challenge, and Lawrence Booth made a very valid point in his Spin column today. Flintoff at No.5 is all very well in England, but not necessarily on the subcontinent.
Flintoff has a miserable record with the bat in India, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka, where his one-day average from 25 innings is 23. The vast
majority of those knocks have been played at Nos5 and 6, where he is
required to play with finesse. Yet the best time for a clean-hitter
to bat in Asia is early on: Flintoff is worth a try at No3 if only
because he doesn’t pull his weight lower down.
Johan Botha is no match for Kumble, Singh…hell, even Sehwag can rip it better than Botch Job. So I’m all for Fred at three; in fact, never lower than No.5 again.
1 Comment »England depend on Harmison for the Ashes
By Will 2 years ago, mid-August, 18 Comments »
Harmison and Pietersen celebrate against South Africax
Forgive me. I was going to wait at least another week before mentioning the A word, but with the recall of Steve Harmison proving such a success, it’s high time I stated the bleeding obvious. The success of next year’s Ashes depends rather a lot on Harmison, and today was a case in point.
He led the attack, bowling a tight line to Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, both of whom were dismissed by him. James Anderson supported him well. So too did Stuart Broad. But where was Flintoff? He was enjoying a well-earned break from leading England’s attack in the slip cordon. Only at 12.20pm was he introduced into the attack and, having been battered by Harmison and to a lesser extent Anderson, Flintoff – less pressure on him owing to Harmison’s earlier bulldozing – did what he does best: add a big bottle of Lancastrian tobasco.
Flintoff has occasionally managed to be England’s best bowler and their most fearsome and feared while Harmison has bottled it. But England’s attack is so better balanced with a firing Harmison that everyone else just slots in. Anderson swings it as Matthew Hoggard used to. Broad is still in his infancy as a Test bowler, but the signs are promising.
I fully expect Harmison to bottle it again – be it in India or West Indies. But I’ve been genuinely surprised how good he has looked in this Test. Perhaps after all these years, it’s finally kicked in: he must bowl, bowl and bowl. Who knows? He could yet murder Australia next summer, and England will cling onto that hope – however forlorn it probably sounds to our Aussie readers. I fully expect most of you to either disagree with me or, for the Aussies, to call me a pathetic pommy dreamer. And I may well be, but one thing’s for certain: if Harmison is at his best next year, England will regain the Ashes.
By the by, in exactly 12 months, we’ll be on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes Test. Will it be sealed already? Yes, probably, but let’s pretend Australia really are as fragile as we hope they will be. Which England side would you plump for?
18 Comments »Flintoff. Bloody Flintoff
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 4 Comments »
What an extraordinary day. England spent the most part of it staring listlessly at their feet, bowling wide and looking every inch the beaten team. With Jacques Kallis beginning to look in ominous touch, it seemed only a matter of time before South Africa would take the lead and build and build.
Andrew bloody Flintoff. What a cricketer, what a figure. His late burst contained some of the most thrilling bowling I’ve seen since, well, Flintoff last played for England 18 months ago. And his two overs to Kallis will never be forgotten; almost as good and penetrating as his over to Ricky Ponting, though that particular one is unlikely to be beaten (from an England perspective).
What made it all the more special was how settled Kallis was. He was in control and playing beautifully, yet was made to look foolish, scared and edgy against Flintoff. For someone renowned for his calm, unflappable temperament at the crease, he was sucking in air desperately trying to regain composure while Flintoff roared in. It’s not just his technical ability with the ball, nor his pace or aggression: it’s the figure, the man behind the ball, which makes Flintoff such an awesome prospect. He is absolutely massive, built like a boxer yet runs in like an athlete, yet somehow is unerringly accurate. I would love to know what the great batsmen of yesteryear – Boycott, Richards, Chappell, Imran, Gooch, Richards, Haynes – think of him and whether they would relish or fear facing Flintoff.
It was the magical inspiration England needed, but before his intervention England were truly shite. Horrific and abject are not too far off the mark, and at times embarassing. If Flintoff can inspire them to take early wickets in the morning, they might yet be spared their blushes.
4 Comments »Why Blair would keep Tim Ambrose at six – and Brown wouldn’t
By Jonathan Liew 2 years ago, mid-July, 4 Comments »
You may have disagreed strongly with the idea of Tim Ambrose batting at number six, but the thing is, it’s done now.
Whenever you mess around with something as fragile as a batting order, you unsettle a team. England undervalued a generation of world-class batting talent in the 1990s by shuffling their batsmen around on a fortnightly basis. Stewart opens. Hick at three. Stewart drops down. Smith opens. Ramprakash at three. Ramprakash at six. Crawley at three. Hick at five. Knight opens. Hussain at three. Butcher opens. Butcher at three. Hussain at four. Ramprakash opens. You get the idea.
Which is why some of the press speculation in the aftermath of the Headingley defeat has the whiff of the knee-jerk about it. We armchair experts can pontificate at great length about the changes we would make if we were in charge, without ever having to engage with reality. To move Ambrose back down to seven would be the simple short-term solution, but counter-productive in the long-term: the weak, cowardly act of a ditherer. And as any opinion pollster will tell you, ditherers hardly inspire confidence – either within their own ranks or among the public.
Far better, surely, to give Ambrose more than two innings to bed down in his new position. And remember that Ambrose outscored Strauss, Vaughan and Bell at Headingley. And remember further that with Broad and Anderson at eight and nine, there’s some lower-order insurance there should it be required.
Pattinson can go – no worries about that. But England’s selectors should resist the urge to tinker with their middle order yet again.
4 Comments »England v South Africa, 2nd Test, Leeds, 1st day – live chat!
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 3 Comments »
We’ve barely had time to catch our breath from Lord’s, but here we are with another Test upon us. England are already feeling the strain: Sidebottom’s crock, so is Anderson (well, duh) and Broad has apparently snapped his ankle. Or something less severe, probably. A roof-tiler has been called up (Darren Pattinson. What do you mean you’ve never heard of the Grimsby-born, Australian-raised, Nottinghamshire quick with a slightly chest-on action who probably bowls a “heavy ball”? It’s only the bestest rags-to-riches story this week). But who frankly gives a toss about any of these chancing chancers when Andrew Flintoff is back in the side?
Until he breaks down with a rare stress fracture of his left buttock at about midday on Saturday, let’s enjoy his 5 for 21 from 94 overs and blistering 18 from seven balls. Here is the scorecard. You know what to do. No, not that – that.
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