“I need reining in at times.”Flintoff has to carry the burden of all proper all-rounders: the knowledge that when you are bowling well you are probably batting badly and vice versa. At least he has a sympathiser in Duncan Fletcher, England’s coach. “[Doing both well] is something I’d like to be able to do, and I must work towards it,” he said. “But perhaps in recent times only Ian Botham and Imran Khan have performed both disciplines together.” There is, of course, another discipline, and Flintoff excels at this one too, like Botham before him.
His stunning catch, flinging himself to his right at gully in the NatWest Series against South Africa, is a huge contender for catch of the season and may well join the two images mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article.”I’ve started slowly in Test cricket, I know that, but the one-day game has started to come together,” he said. “Other lads like Marcus Trescothick and James Anderson took to it straightaway If I knew why I didn’t quite, then.. It was a mixture of me being me, of getting injured. But I’ve got some experience now and I’m ready.”He has never fretted through his frustrations, but he admits that he could do without many more. He owes this team.Controversy will always stalk him precisely because he is the kind of player who will empty bars. It did so again last week, not because he had a pint in his hand at the cricket (just one, and it was essential at Stanley Park on Thursday) but because he was not playing for Lancashire.
The county chairman, Jack Simmons, was most unhappy that England had pulled him out. “I can understand Jack’s annoyance, but there’s a lot of cricket coming up for England, and much as I love Lancashire, England’s got to come first.”He will rejoin the England Test party tomorrow fresh from Michael Vaughan’s refreshing one-day captaincy. Nasser Hussain will resume command, and it will be different surely? “I don’t know, it’s that long since I’ve had Nasser as captain.” That was Freddie being diplomatic. And has he lost sleep and worried over his absences and lapses? “No, I’m a good sleeper, me.” It would be grand if he had reason for whirling the shirt and looking like the karaoke king at a full Oval in September.Biography: Andrew FlintoffBorn: 6 December 1977 in Preston.Test career: 21 matches (debut v SA, 1998) Batting: 33 innings, 643 runs at 19.48 Bowling: 33 wickets at 47.15 (best 4-50). Has taken 14 catches.One-day internationals: 62 matches (debut v Pakistan, 1998) Batting: 1,298 runs at 27.04 (top score 84) Bowling: 59 wickets at 26.0 (best 4-17). Has taken 24 catches.First-class career: 5,089 runs at 34.38, 114 wickets at 36.25.Overview: Big all-rounder long touted as Ian Botham’s natural successor. Bludgeons the ball with the bat and has touched 90mph when bowling Injury has curtailed his development..
During their recent deliberations, the England selectors must have been heavily influenced by the season of vintage comedy films on lunchtime television. “That,” as Hardy has repeatedly told Laurel this past fortnight, “is another fine mess you’ve got me into.” On the one hand, for the First Test against South Africa, which begins on Thursday, the panel have harked back to the past by picking the redoubtable Darren Gough and his injured knee. On the other, they have declined to recall the newly settled middle-order batsman Graham Thorpe, preferring a quasi-continuity in the portly reliability of Anthony McGrath. It now looks a done deal that Stewart will go on his terms and not those that best suit the team. England may or may not beat South Africa this summer, but the sound of Australian nerves jangling at the sight of the squad was conspicuous by its absence.In short, the dozen names announced for the match at Edgbaston represent neither one thing nor the other. The courage of selectorial convictions is present in some places, missing in others. It is, though, impossible to imagine that this combination will be regaining the Ashes in 2005.The match also marks the return to England colours of Nasser Hussain, who is now captain only of the Test team.