Andrew Flintoff starts the modern retirement
Columnist By Brett McKay, 21 Jul 2009 Brett McKay is a Roar Expert
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- Andrew Flintoff, Chennai Super Kings, Cricket, retirement, The Ashes, Twenty20
Andrew Flintoff heads the list of my favourite England cricketers. It’s almost impossible to find anything about the big bloke from Lancashire not to like. He hits the ball as hard as Hayden and Gilchrist, and delivers it as fast as Lee and Johnson. And, he doesn’t mind a beer and a pie either.
If “good enough to play for Australia” is the ultimate compliment I can pay the man they call “Freddie”, then I’ll get it out there early.
From the first time he graced our shores in 2002/03, albeit briefly before returning home injured, Flintoff has consistently been the one player from the Motherland we’d love to have in the Baggy Green.
Of course, it was the last Ashes series in England where the Flintoff legend was confirmed. 402 runs and 25 wickets ensured that just as the 1981 series will forever be known as “Botham’s Ashes”, 2005 will go down as “Freddie’s Ashes”.
But Flintoff stunned the cricket world last week, when on the eve of the Second Ashes Test at Lord’s, he announced that he would retire from Test cricket at the end of the series. He said that his body was starting to tell him that the grind and workload of Test cricket was becoming too much, and that it was time he listened.
He will remain available for one-day and Twenty20 internationals for England, he said.
Now I hate when this happens, but straight away my inner-cynic’s ears pricked up at this news.
The first thing scribbled into my notebook on reading this report was “the next pro Twenty20 millionaire?”
Various articles and reports across the weekend, including on The Roar, have been quick to point out how Flintoff is set to cash in on his sudden availability for the various short-form competitions.
Already on the biggest contract in the Indian Premier League, Flintoff would seem certain to make his Chennai Super Kings bosses very happy next April, by now not having to miss a large chunk of the IPL tournament because of a pesky Test call-up.
Even Queensland have been quick out of the blocks, and are already said to have had “preliminary discussions” about Flintoff taking part in the Twenty20 Big Bash next January. Enquires from new and existing pro leagues in England and South Africa won’t be too far behind.
By taking short-term contracts for the rest of his days, Flintoff is setting himself up for …well, retirement.
This in itself is nothing new. Australian rugby league players have been signing “superannuation” contracts with English clubs for years, and likewise, there’s always been a steady stream of southern hemisphere rugby players heading north, lured by euros or yen.
And since the advent of the IPL, and even its rebel sibling, the Indian Cricket League (ICL), former international players have been able to keep their toes in the water for six weeks a year, and earn a small fortune while doing so.
Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden dominated this year’s IPL, which would have been fine if it wasn’t at the same time that the Australian team was struggling in 20 – and 50 – over matches against Pakistan in Dubai.
So while no-one begrudges any professional player the ability to earn an income – especially given their maximum earning window might be measured in months, not years – the concern in my mind is that Flintoff’s “retirement” will be the first of many.
Any international player who suddenly finds themselves struggling to get through a Test season injury-free, or can’t maintain motivation for five days, or dare I say it, not able to stay off the drink when they said they would, will now give this move some serious thought.
And why wouldn’t they?
Players will see billion-dollar tournament broadcast rights being sold and naturally wonder how they might be able to secure even a tiny sliver for themselves.
The worry for me will be if the current sporadic drip of players walking away from Test cricket becomes a steady trickle. Even more so will be if the players “retiring” are getting younger when doing so.
In the case of Flintoff, it was pretty apparent he was labouring toward the end of the Cardiff Test, and he was used sparingly in Australia’s first innings at Lord’s. Clearly, it looks to be a case of England nursing him through the early Tests to ensure he gets a fitting farewell by seeing out the Ashes series.
And once he walks off The Oval at the end of the series, and his last Test, Freddie Flintoff will begin the type of retirement that I think we may have to start getting used to.
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July 21st 2009 @ 12:23pm
reds fan said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
The celebration once was good theatre but over the years has become boorish and arrogant. He’s a knob.
July 21st 2009 @ 12:25pm
Brett McKay said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
Thanks Coops, we might discuss the power of the BCCI and the “hero pose” at length over a beer or two in the very near future…
Justin, you’ve touched on something I alluded to in the article: I think it’s quite likely aging Test players won’t hang on as they did pre-IPL, but at the same time, selectors won’t have the same reluctance cutting off their income streams as they know the player will be able to cash in on the various pro T20 leagues. We might actually find the average age of Test squads gradually dropping…
July 21st 2009 @ 12:27pm
Searly said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Brett, you’re right in many ways that it’s a shame that Flintoff has probably not been able to fulfil his potential due to injury, but I also reckon that he has also underperformed regardless.
On the mid-pitch Christ-like stance, I actually think it is quite unhelpful to England in a broader sense. It subconciously encourages the other players to rely on him too much to deliver in their hour of need. What will they do when their ‘saviour’ is gone? Return to another four years or more of mediocrity, that’s what…..
Even when Warney and McGrath were at their absolute peaks, you didn’t get them overtly celebrating their own individual brilliance. They were all about the team’s success and celebrated with the team rather than waiting for all their adoring subjects to come and embrace them.
If I was in the England management I’d be stamping it out quick smart.
July 21st 2009 @ 12:33pm
Jameswm said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
I’m sure Flintoff is a great guy off the field – he comes across that way – but his wicket celebrations appear at the extreme of arrogance.
The Aussie bowlers should really give it to him next time he comes in to bat for that reason alone, plus you always attack the opposition’s best players. It’s not like he’s noted for being solid against the short ball.
He did put our bowlers to shame in that test though.
July 21st 2009 @ 12:35pm
FIsher Price said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
“thanks largely to dodgy umpring decisions” – whatever Searly.
Oh, and let’s wait and see whether Mitch Johnson – currently very much a batting allrounder – can keep up his bating form over a sustained period. Sure, Flintoff’s batting has fallen away dramatically but he’s been around a while and has a lot more runs on the board than Johnson; no one was claiming Flintioff couldn’t bat at Test level in the period between 2003 and 2005.
Must say I cringe at Flintoff’s messianic poses, but I’m no more a fan of Peter Siddle’s Andre Nel impressions… though perhaps those two are of a similar standard as bowelers.
July 21st 2009 @ 12:40pm
FIsher Price said | July 21st 2009 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
Arrogance, yes. Spot on.
But Siddle’s snarling, for instance, isn’t going to put Flintoff off his game. Nor would Brett – “Overs under my belt? Pah!” Lee’s diverse range of lines and lengths. Some fast accuracy from, er, Doug Bollinger, would do nicely.
July 21st 2009 @ 1:00pm
Justin said | July 21st 2009 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
FP – Johnsons record with bat and ball is already superior to Flintoff. That he has only played 23 Tests would suggest he has some improvement to come. His batting technique is better than his bowling technique. Its uncomplicated, with sound footwork and a beautiful free swing with the full face of the bat. Not to mention the power he has.
July 21st 2009 @ 1:24pm
FIsher Price said | July 21st 2009 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
What I’m saying is that Flintoff had a period of dominant batting form – it’s possible that these past nine months have been/are Johnsons. I think Johnson looks good, but so did Flintoff for a time. It remains to be see what impact the responsibility of leading the attack has on the time spent and effectiveness of Johnson’s batting. For me, he should spend more time on his bowling, or else he’ll be seen as the new Brendon Julian.
July 21st 2009 @ 1:45pm
FIsher Price said | July 21st 2009 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
The reason I say Flintoff’s batting has fallen away dramatically is because it was once rather effective. In Tests, batting at number SIX, he made scores of:
137, 75 and 59 in 2002;
142, 50, 55, 95 and 77 in 2003;
102*, 63, 94, 54, 167, 57*, 72 and 60 in 2004;
77, 68, 73, 102, 72 and 56 in 2005;
and 70, 51, 50, 50 and 51 in 2006.
(since then the only post-50 scores have been 89 in 2007 and 62 in 2008)
Not to be sneezed at from an allrounder
If Johnson’s already much superior, perhaps he should bat at number 4 or 5.
July 21st 2009 @ 1:53pm
Justin said | July 21st 2009 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
mmm…