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.
Dave
Guest
Since the GFC Ladit Modi has made no comments about getting rid of the salary cap. This is a good thing, the IPL has to be run within the means of the owners involved.
Brett McKay
Guest
Geez Dave, imagine if they'd lost the Ashes!! Thanks for the link, by the way...
Dave
Guest
It looks like he actullally didnt retire early enough http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/sep/10/ricky-ponting-australia-cricket-captain "........Going gracefully is a tough gig, as Terry Wogan said this week. When Andrew Flintoff extracted himself from Test cricket this summer, he limped away like a shot ox. He'd stayed too long, no question. Only fleetingly did Freddie rekindle the magic of '05, but he was desperate to be given the chance and was distinctly unimpressed when not selected for the fourth Test, even while hobbling about like Methuselah. It did not enhance his reputation, although he was forgiven amid the euphoria of victory at The Oval......"
FIsher Price
Guest
John Jones - yes, Johnson's snarled "d***head" after he finally dismissed Anderson was highly amusing.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Hopefully not the last word. My apparently disjointed comments are a reflection of online conversations. Taken in their totality they are lucid. You would know by now that it is Test Cricket that I usually refer to. It is pointless nurturing bits and pieces player who can neither win you a game with bat or ball. This is why every country ,at the Test Level,nurtures wicket keeper batsmen. I have already listed the current keeper batsmen and all these except Prior are also capable glovemen.
Brett McKay
Guest
Fred, I said the same thing when T20 became and international game, that it would be ODIs and not Tests to face the biggest challenge to remain relevant. I can't back this up with numbers, but my perception is that we already seem to have fewer one-day games being played. My concern from this is with a narrowing gap between T20 and Tests, the days of the Test being decided in the last hour of the fifth day might be numbered. The fifth day itself might be engdangered, because Tests may not got the distance. And you could argure that all boards (particularly the ICC and the BCCI) have already smoked the peace pipe - the ICC does whatever the BCCI tels it to... ---------- Vinay, I have to admit I'm losing track of you. So far you've said: - the accepted tradition of a batting or bowling allrounder is out of the window, becuase of the emergence of the 'keeper-batsmen; - then you said you were only talking about all-rounders playing Tests; - then you said the traditional view is only valid if you have a world class all-rounder, and - then lastly you said a true allrounder is one who can win you a game with bat and ball. I know you'll have the last word on this, which is fine, I've come to expect that. However, I'll finish up my end of this healthy discussion by saying that surely when the majority of the top ICC countries continue to pick a "traditional" all-rounder (of various levels of class, if we must classify) in any form of International cricket, then the traditional view remains valid. If all-rounders were only picked to win games with bat and ball, then Flintoff and plenty of others would never have been picked in the first place. They're not world-class for every day of their careers, as Justin mentions above. The all-rounder is more than handy at several disciplines, but not necessarily the best at any. They're picked to improve the balanace of a team. Why else do all-rounders keep emerging? Why won't Shane Watson stop bowling, when plenty of medical opinion suggests he should? Becuase the traditonal all-rounder is still a valid and well-embraced concept, and it'll continue to be well beyond yours and my lifetime.. And I appreciate you being the 50th post on my column, I really do!!
Justin
Guest
Guys even Flintoff admitted in an interview that he wishes he could keep playing Tests as he is beginning to learn that he needs to pitch the ball up more. Thats the reason his career average is just that. He bowled short and back of a length for too long and doesnt get the batsmen coming forward, hence only around 3 wickets per test, a tight economy and bugger all-5 fors. As for the injury and he may have been better - we will never know but there have been plenty of bowlers who have come back from serious injury or had interrupted careers and still performed better than his record. On his day world class but those days are few and far between...
John Jones
Guest
I suppose it's better than Mitchell Johnson mouthing off at James Anderson, a number 10 batsman who has spent the last 40 minutes spanking him around the park.
Colin N
Guest
I have a theory on Freddie's celebration, criticise as much as you like. Do you think Flintoff's going to run around, Stuart Broad-esque, with that bad knee and possibly agrivate it? It does look a bit cringe-worthy, but I've seen worse.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Brett,we will have to keep disagreeing but I will get you to your fifty comments on this post and well done. None of the allrounders you mentioned,except Vettori and Johnson play regular Test Cricket and Hopes hasn't played at all. A true allrounder is one who can win you a game with bat and ball. And Vettori is not in that class.
Fred Magee
Roar Pro
Enjoyable article Brett. This has been the fear of mine that no longer is reaching the heights of representing your country the one path to gaining an income from cricket. As such, you will get 20/20 specialists who will play the game and maximise their income. At this stage, I believe that as long as you still have players who still want to play Test cricket and see that as the way of gaining the highest peer recognition, then it may help in perserving Test matches in the future. The other will be that all boards (including the ICC and the BCCI) smoking the peace pipe and realising that before the game goes into oblivion, that they need to balance Test and 20/20 cricket and ensure that there is space in the calendar for the right amount of both. Yes, this means the end of 50 over cricket but I dont think that too many will lament its loss but rather celebrate and enjoy the role it played in the development of the game. As for Flintoff, he is a matchwinner and a talisman for the English. It is a shame that injury has limited him at times especially in Australia in 06/07. It would have been great to see him without the shackles of injury and captaincy in that series and may have not made it so one sided. One thing you can not deny about Flintoff is that he plays with heart - which is something Kevin Pietersen needs to learn pretty quickly.
Brett McKay
Expert
Gold Viscount, gold... I'm guessing that you'd subscribe to the theory that Lancastrians are proof that the Scots can navigate south??
Brett McKay
Expert
Well, hasn’t this got its second wind since I was last looked?!? I’ll try and address as many as possible... Ian, I note that John Jones has made several comments in reply to your post, and much of what he said was what I was thinking. Everything you were disappointed in about the English team you could apply to nearly every Test team. That’s not to defend anyone, that’s just to say that it’s not isolated either. Greg, I saw your post and thought “ah ha, this is how we can get back on topic!!” and seeing the follow-up comments, it’s worked. The comments by Heath Mills would align with comments Ladit Modi made prior to the IPL tournament in South Africa, where he suggested there would be no salary cap in place before long. As for the photo, well, if I had a dollar from every person I’ve copped stick from in the last week.... Vinay, I don’t like consistently disagreeing with someone, but you make it easy for me. Johnson, Hopes, Vettorri, Pathan, etc – none could be called “world class” just yet, but it’s irrelevant; they’re all all-rounders and they’re all playing for the country regularly. That would suggest that the traditional view of the all-rounder is still definitely valid. Just as England tried for years to replace Botham, they’ll be soon trying to replace Flintoff. They won’t find a “world class” replacement straight away – they might not even find a replacement straight away – but they’ll still try, because they believe in the need for a batting or bowling all-rounder. Dave, those numbers stack up pretty well for Flintoff. Imagine what they would have been like if he stayed fit. John, valid points about camera angles, and it was that very reason they got rid of referred catches in the Sheffield Shield a few years ago. From memory, there was a referred catch (given not out by the third ump) in a Shield Final that changed the match. Junior, thanks for the batting averages, I actually though he might have been better at No7 rather than No6, but there you go. Did a Roarer seriously call someone the next Brendan Julian?!? Your point about 18yo’s chasing the cash is valid, very valid. And very worrying. Having said that, we may also see the scenario where Johnny Nineteen from Petersham (Petersham Randwick now?) takes the three year IPL deal on offer, but then comes back to push for his Baggy Green after earning his millions. Of course, he might also stay and double his money. Or add several more zeros, if what Greg Russell reported comes true. That’s the main points addressed... Several of you mentioned Ponting’s post-match comments, and I said in another thread today that he handled Mike Atherton’s loaded comments very well. He could easily have said on the ground and in the press conference that Australia didn’t get the bounce of the ball, but he maintained that England deserved the win, which they did. It was a class act, plenty of doubters and critics would/should have noticed this too...
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Quite right, chaps. I'm glad you've spotted the flaws in "Super Fred". The truth is that Flintoff is a ghastly northern boor, the type of chap my ancestors have spent most of their lives seeking to keep down - and for jolly good reason. We see how puffed up these working class chappies get when they enjoy a spot of success. Most undignified. It is quite intolerable that the sweaty oik ambles around Lord's as if he owns the place. He should, by rights, be gardening on a nobleman's estate somewhere in Lancashire, not lapping up the adulation of should-know-betters at the cricket. The chap is not a Gentleman. He is a Player. Let us not forget this critical fact.
John Jones
Guest
Jonno, You need to separate the poor start Flintoff had to his career when he was overweight and lacking intensity. Since 2003 his batting average has been 37 and his bowling average 29 - and that with all the injuries he's suffered. And that is really very good.
jonno
Guest
Actually I think he is a bit of a tosser. And as a bowler he is only so-so. Look at his average 31+ Not very good really chaps is it?
drewster
Roar Pro
You can't blame "Freddie" for wanting to retire from the five day game, I mean if he keeps having as many "pain killing" injections as he did this test for the next three (just to get through) his whole body would be numb and not just his knee. IPL is his game after this series, Lots of dollars and less injections. Who can blame him for wanting the easy life!
Junior
Guest
addressing a few point made above in no particular order (except for the first point): "the new brendan julian" - please. that's just cruel. i wouldn't cast that death wish on my worst enemy. flintoff pose - hate it. agree with the comment that warne or mcgrath never carried on like such a pratt. must be an english thing. pull your head in son. flintoff numbers - batting at six avge is 32.3, batting at seven avge is 32.1. 117 of his 127 innings have been in these two positions, roughly 50/50. more flintoff numbers - a very good allrounder but i wouldn't be talking him up as being up there with the all time best. why? has not scored a FIRST CLASS hundred since 2005 ashes. has taken only THREE five wicket hauls at test level and a total of FOUR at first class. perhaps injury is one reason (see next point) flintoff injury prone - yes, injury has cost him test appearances. not sure that i agree that he would have been a better player if not for injury though. agree that one can be unlucky but staying on the field despite the wear and tear on the body is part of being a top class athlete in any sport. if that were not true one could conceivably argue that brett papworth would have been a brilliant rugby league player. despite his feats on the rugby field, there really is no way of knowing. ponting as captain - he is far from the best captain we have ever had and far from the worst. i would argue that in the current team he is best equipped by a country mile for the job. other candidates? hussey? form slump possibly irreversible, pup? too immature and not well respected among his peers, katich? only recently cemented his spot in the team. so i say stick with punter until he no longer wants it. he's the best we have at the moment. "retiring to 20/20" - older and/or injury prone players retiring to play 20/20 is a side issue. the main deal is if younger talented players no longer see the five day game as the pinnacle of cricket. can you really see a talented 17yo wonderkid rejecting a mega 3-5 year ipl offer in order to play grade cricket for petersham on a saturday on the chance that the national selectors may pick him one day to wear the baggy green? kids who are <18 now will see the cash on offer and the dream to play for australia will simply not register. already they are talking about a periodic world championship of test cricket with only the ashes surviving as test series as we now know it. i sincerely hope that i'm wrong.
John Jones
Guest
You're right about Ponting, Dave. Unfortunately he used the phrase "spirit of the game" which distracted from the rest of his comments that were perfectly accurate and led him to be accused of hypocrisy. I'm afraid that they all do look like they bounce if the camera is looking straight towards the fielder. It's been demonstrated often enough, Tony Greig did an excellent piece showing the ball appearing to be on the ground when a close by camera demonstrated it was about 4 inches off the ground. It's the limitation of the technology. Ponting has been accused of the same thing in the past, and on that occasion too I am sure he caught the ball.
Dave
Guest
The problem was Ponting was asked a question after the first test and he answered it. He would have said Strauss played against the laws of the game not the ‘spirit’. That was his mistake. He also said it it’s not the reason Australia didn’t win All low catches do not look like they bounce. Strauss's definitely bounced like Hussain’s catch against Blewett in 97. If Ponting did what Strauss did he would have been crucified. The rest of the umpiring decisions are just the rub of the green. Johnson would be as much as all-rounder as say maybe Alan Davidson.