Andrew Flintoff

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Andrew Flintoff


country = England
fullname = Andrew Flintoff
nickname = Freddie
living = true
dayofbirth = 6
monthofbirth = 12
yearofbirth = 1977
placeofbirth = Preston, Lancashire
countryofbirth = England
heightft = 6
heightinch = 4
role = All-rounder
batting = Right-handed
bowling = Right-arm fast
international = true
testdebutdate = 23 July
testdebutyear = 1998
testdebutagainst = South Africa
testc

lasttestdate = 7 August
lasttestyear = 2008
lasttestagainst = South Africa
odidebutdate = 7 April
odidebutyear = 1999
odidebutagainst = Pakistan
odic

odishirt = 11
lastodidate = 3 September
lastodiyear = 2008
lastodiagainst = South Africa
club1 = Lancashire
year1 = 1995–present
clubnumber1 = 11
deliveries = balls
columns = 4
column1 = Tests
matches1 = 70
runs1 = 3,494
bat avg1 = 32.35
100s/50s1 = 5/24
top score1 = 167
deliveries1 = 13,300
wickets1 = 206
bowl avg1 = 32.21
fivefor1 = 2
tenfor1 = 0
best bowling1 = 5/58
catches/stumpings1 = 47/–
column2 = ODIs
matches2 = 133
runs2 = 3,277
bat avg2 = 33.10
100s/50s2 = 3/18
top score2 = 123
deliveries2 = 5,258
wickets2 = 159
bowl avg2 = 23.99
fivefor2 = 1
tenfor2 = n/a
best bowling2 = 5/56
catches/stumpings2 = 43/–
column3 = FC
matches3 = 171
runs3 = 8,588
bat avg3 = 34.48
100s/50s3 = 15/50
top score3 = 167
deliveries3 = 20,761
wickets3 = 319
bowl avg3 = 31.71
fivefor3 = 3
tenfor3 = 0
best bowling3 = 5/24
catches/stumpings3 = 176/–
column4 = LA
matches4 = 274
runs4 = 6,524
bat avg4 = 30.20
100s/50s4 = 6/34
top score4 = 143
deliveries4 = 9,050
wickets4 = 279
bowl avg4 = 22.32
fivefor4 = 1
tenfor4 = n/a
best bowling4 = 5/56
catches/stumpings4 = 102/–
date = 20 September
year = 2008
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4263/4263.html CricketArchive

Andrew Flintoff, MBE, (born 6 December 1977 in Preston, Lancashire) is a cricketer who plays for Lancashire and England. A tall (6' 4") fast bowler, aggressive batsman, fine fielder, and according to the ICC rankings, consistently rated amongst the top international allrounders in both ODI and Test cricket. His nickname "Freddie" or "Fred" comes from the similarity between his surname and that of Fred Flintstone. Since his debut in 1998, Flintoff has become an integral player, and has both captained and vice-captained the team. He has been plagued with ankle injuries due to his bowling action, and in late 2007 a fourth operation took him out of cricket until summer 2008. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7027689.stm "Seven-month lay-off for Flintoff"] BBC News retrieved 13 October 2007]

Professional career

Early years: Criticism, injury and fitness troubles

Flintoff was captain of the England Under-19 team for their "Test" match tour to Pakistan in 1996/7 and at home against Zimbabwe in 1997. Though he made his Test match debut for England in 1998 against South Africa, his struggle to make the grade at county level continued, he found form only intermittently, though often explosively when he did so. In 2000 he hit 135 not out in the Quarter-finals of the Natwest Trophy against Surrey, which David Gower described as "the most awesome innings we are ever going to see on a cricket field". In the same year England's management made clear they were unhappy with his fitness and weight, Flintoff responded to his critics with 42 not out in a one day game against Zimbabwe on his home ground of Old Trafford, forming an explosive second wicket stand with Graeme Hick; as he collected the Man of the Match award he remarked his performance was "not bad for a fat lad". [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/88870.html "England make light work in wintry weather"] CricInfo retrieved 27 August 2007] Though he lost his England place during 2001, he remodelled his bowling action and he gained a place on the 2001-02 tour to India. Though he hit possibly his worst international batting form during the Test series, frustrating him to the point that he broke down in tears in the dressing room at one stage, he later saw the tour as a turning point in his career, specifically the crucial final one-day match. Entrusted with bowling the final over with India needing 11 to win, he ran out Anil Kumble and bowled Javagal Srinath with successive balls to win the match, taking off his shirt in celebration, through both joy and personal relief. [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/113931.html "England square series in Mumbai thriller"] Cricinfo.com. 3 February 2002. Accessed 15 March 2006.]

Improved consistency, step-up to key international player

In 2002 he scored his maiden Test century. By 2003, a newer, fitter Flintoff started to justify the comparisons with Botham. Up to the end of 2002, he had averaged just 19 with the bat and 47 with the ball; from 2003 to the end of the 2005 Ashes series, the corresponding figures were 43 and 28. In the summer of 2003 he scored a century and three fifties in the 5 Test series against South Africa at home, and continued to excel on the tour of the West Indies in March and April 2004, taking five wickets in the Test in Barbados, and scoring a century in Antigua. In early 2004 he was named as a "Wisden" Cricketer of the Year, having failed to make Wisden's top 40 list in 2002.

Although injury prevented him from bowling, he was called into the England squad for the 2004 Nat West One Day International Series against New Zealand and the West Indies as a specialist batsman, scoring two consecutive centuries in the series and hitting seven sixes in one innings.

He matched this haul in the Second Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July, hitting a first-class best figure of 167. Over the course of England's record-breaking summer, he hit a half-century in all seven victorious Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies. On returning to the one-day game as an all-rounder in September he fell agonising short of a third one-day century, caught on 99 against India, though he went on to hit a further century in the ICC Champions Trophy pool match against Sri Lanka two weeks later. At the end of the season he was named as the inaugural winner of the ICC Award for one-day player of the year, and the Professional Cricketers' Association player of the year. He also became a father when his fiancée Rachael Wools gave birth to Holly on 6 September. They now have a second child, Corey, who was born during the series in India in 2006. Freddie briefly returned home from the tour to see his son for the first time and did not miss any matches in the process.

2005: Ashes winner

Following the Test series in South Africa in December 2004 and January 2005, Flintoff flew home for surgery on his left ankle, leading to worries he might not regain fitness in time for The Ashes. In fact, following a rehabilitation programme of swimming and hill-walking, he recovered ahead of schedule and was able to return to action for Lancashire in April.

In the Second Test against Australia at Edgbaston in August 2005, he broke Ian Botham's 1981 record of six sixes in an Ashes Test Match with five in the first innings, and a further four in the second innings, 141 runs in total. In the same game he took a total of 7 wickets (across both innings), including the wickets of Langer and Ponting in his first over in Australia's run-chase. He managed all this despite a shoulder injury early in the second innings. England won the game by the narrowest of margins - just 2 runs, and saved their hopes of regaining the Ashes. Flintoff was named 'Man of the Match' and captain Michael Vaughan subsequently dubbed the match "Fred's Test" in honour of his achievement.

Flintoff scored a century during England's crucial win at Trent Bridge. He took 5 wickets on the fourth day of the final test match, enabling England to go off for bad light and helping them to eventually secure a draw and regain the Ashes.

For his achievements throughout the 2005 Ashes series, he was named as "Man of the Series" by Australian coach, John Buchanan. His achievement also won him the inaugural Compton-Miller Medal. He was also awarded the Freedom of the City of Preston.

In October 2005, Flintoff shared the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC player of the year award with Jacques Kallis of South Africa. In December 2005, Flintoff was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2005, the first cricketer since Botham in 1981. In the New Year's Honours List for 2006, Flintoff was appointed an MBE for his role in the successful Ashes side. In January 2006, Flintoff was presented with Freedom of the City award for Preston, Lancashire. The award was presented to Flintoff by the Mayor of Preston. Other recipients of the award include Sir Tom Finney and Nick Park.

England captaincy

In February 2006, following England captain Michael Vaughan and vice-captain Marcus Trescothick becoming unavailable for the first Test match against India, Flintoff was named captain of the England team and subsequently announced that he would be staying in India for the entire Test series, although he and his wife were expecting their second child. His wife gave birth to a son, Corey, shortly before the second Test on 9 March. [" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/4788320.stm Baby delight for captain Flintoff] ." BBC Sport. 9 March 2006. Accessed 15 March 2006.]

On the field, Flintoff was seen as a great success during the drawn series with India, with a 212-run victory in Mumbai. His contributions with both bat and ball ensured that he was named as the player of the series, with many commentators seeing Flintoff as someone who not only worked better under the responsibility but was also viewed as a great influence of an inexperienced side, which included many debutants, such as Alastair Cook, Owais Shah and Monty Panesar. Flintoff amassed four fifties in the series, and took 11 wickets, on unfriendly surfaces for seamers. Flintoff continued to captain England during the seven ODIs in India, although he was rested for two matches.

However, following a recurrence of his long-term ankle problem in May 2006, he missed both the ODI series against Sri Lanka, and the first Test against Pakistan. It was later announced in July that Flintoff's rehabiltation had not been sufficient to quell the injury, and that further surgery would be required. He was thus ruled out for the entire series against Pakistan. Despite injury concerns, Flintoff was later named for the ICC Champions Trophy, where he played as a specialist batsman, not as an all-rounder.

2006-07 Ashes series

After his previous stint as captain in the Test series against India, Flintoff returned as captain of the England team for the eagerly anticipated 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia. The series turned out to be a humiliating one for Flintoff, leading his side to five straight losses and thus losing the Ashes after having held them for the shortest time in history. In addition, he presided over England's worst ever defeat in an Ashes series, equalling the 1921 whitewash at the hands of the Warwick Armstrong-led Australian team in the wake of World War I.

Flintoff's own play in the 2006-07 series, both bowling and at the crease, was generally deemed disappointing. He made only two scores over 50 in the series, his best bowling figures were 4/99 in the first innings of the First Test in Brisbane, and he failed to get 5 wickets in a match. Flintoff played only one first-class game in the lead up to the series. He was initially undone by Australia's excellent seam bowling but his batting improved throughout the series as he got more match practice. A persistent ankle injury prevented Flintoff from bowling long spells at full pace and Australia's batsmen took advantage of this. According to Nasser Hussain during the tour he also had three or four warnings for inappropriate behaviour and binge drinking, [ [http://worldcup.cricket365.com/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=cricket/07/03/18/manual_155822.html "Flintoff - I have no excuses"] World Cup Cricket 365, retrieved 27 August 2007] [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/quote/content/current/page/156062.html "Quote ... unquote - 2007"] CricInfo, retrieved 27 August 2007] including arriving hungover for a training session [ [http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21418683-5006372,00.html "End of binges, vows Fred"] AdelaideNow News, retrieved 27 August 2007] .

Flintoff also captained England for several of the subsequent 2006-07 Commonwealth Bank Series One Day International matches. Michael Vaughan's return from knee surgery was cut short by a hamstring injury and he was only able to play two matches, leaving Flintoff in charge for the remaining games. England qualified in the last game of eight group matches for the best-of-three finals against Australia, but reversed their poor form on tour with a 2-0 series win in the finals.

Flintoff contributed significantly with the ball in both matches, taking three wickets in the first match and allowing only 10 runs off 5 overs in the second as Australia chased a reduced total in a rain-hit match.

2007 Cricket World Cup

With Michael Vaughan returning from injury for the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, Flintoff was replaced as captain but appointed England's vice-captain.

In the opening match of the tournament against New Zealand Flintoff was out first ball in England's innings and failed to take a wicket, although his bowling was very economical conceding only 17 runs in 8 overs, and he took a stunning one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Ross Taylor for a duck. On the evening of England's defeat Flintoff - along with some other players and coaches from the England squad - indulged in some late night drinking in a night club, only two days before their vital match against Canada . In the early hours of the morning he was reported [ [http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/iccexclusive009.shtml "Flintoff's Shipfaced"] "News of the World" retrieved 27 August 2007] as having to be rescued after falling off a pedalo - this quickly became known in the media as the "Fredalo" incident (a portmanteau of "Freddie" and "pedalo"). Flintoff and the others involved were reprimanded and fined and with Flintoff being stripped of the vice-captaincy [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6464251.stm England v Canada report] BBC News retrieved 27 August 2007] and, in addition, he was suspended for the match against Canada. It was revealed by England coach Duncan Fletcher that Flintoff had had a number of previous warnings about his behaviour. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/03/19/scfron19.xml "Fletcher sacks Flintoff over drinking spree"] "The Daily Telegraph" retrieved 27 August 2007] Flintoff has since issued a public apology.

Flintoff returned to the England team for the last group match against Kenya, taking two wickets. In the Super 8 matches, Flintoff often excelled with the ball but failed to recover his batting form. Against Ireland he took 4-43 and scored 43 runs; against Sri Lanka he took 3-35 but was out for 2 and against Australia he took 1-35 but was out for 4. In the next match against Bangladesh Flintoff took 1-38 in 8 overs and scored 23 runs off 21 balls. Ultimately, he failed to influence an ailing English side and had a poor tournament. Michael Vaughan later commented that Flintoff's pedalo antics had adversely affected team morale. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/6721459.stm "Flintoff antics "dented Cup bid""] BBC News retrieved 27 August 2007]

2007-08: Injuries and comeback

Flintoff returned for a couple of games with Lancashire, in preparation for the West Indies tour of England but he reinjured his ankle and was ruled out for the first Test which started on 17 May 2007. Having undergone another operation on the troublesome ankle, he missed the whole Test and one-day series against the West Indies, and was also ruled out for the subsequent Test series with India. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6898644.stm "Flintoff targeting one-day series"] BBC News retrieved 25 August 2007] Following several games for Lancashire, Flintoff returned for England in the first of seven ODIs against India on 21 August 2007. He bowled 7 overs and ended with figures of 1 for 12 in England's 104 run victory. He hit an eventful nine runs during the second ODI, however while fielding he injured his knee and sat out England's 42-run victory in the third ODI. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6963925.stm "Lewis called up to cover Flintoff"] BBC News retrieved 25 August 2007] He returned for the 4th ODI on 30 August. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6965400.stm "Flintoff poised for swift return"] BBC News retrieved 27 August 2007] Flintoff missed England's two narrow defeats to India in the 5th and 6th ODI before taking 3-45 in the 7th ODI, helping England win the series 4-3 in a 7 wicket victory. His ankle injury recurred during the end of the 2007 season, and although he played in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, he did not accompany the England squad to Sri Lanka, and a fourth operation made it highly unlikely that he would play again before the summer of 2008, missing both the Sri Lankan test series and the 2008 tour of New Zealand. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7027689.stm "Seven-month lay-off for Flintoff"] BBC News retrieved 13 October 2007] Flintoff, however, remained "upbeat" about his career. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7046439.stm "Flintoff upbeat on England return"] BBC News retrieved 16 October 2007]

Flintoff was back in action for Lancashire early in the 2008 season, but a side strain ruled him out of contention for the home series against New Zealand. However, after again returning to action in county cricket he was recalled to the England squad for the second Test against South Africa. He took his 200th Test wicket in the third Test of the series, trapping Neil McKenzie lbw for 72. Flintoff bowled consistently against the South Africans, and his batting began to show promise as he consistently made starts, before being moved back up to bat at six when Kevin Pietersen took over as captain. In the following one day series, Flintoff has so far been an important player for England, leading to Pietersen to describe him as "a superstar". Flintoff scored 78 in both the first and third matches (he was not required to bat in the second), as well as 31 not out off 12 balls in the fourth, whilst taking 3 wickets in the same match. This has led to many pundits speculating that Flintoff might just be back to his best. He won Man of the Series in the ODI home series against South Africa, where England won 4-0 (the last match was washed out). He was both the top runs scorer and the top wicket taker of that series.

Individual records and achievements

*Flintoff is the second highest English wicket-taker in one-day international cricket with 159 wickets, and the 11th highest in Test cricket, with 206 wickets. These figures include wickets taken for the ICC World XI.
*He is also the 9th highest English run-scorer in one-day internationals, with a total of 2975.
*Flintoff hit Surrey's Alex Tudor for 34 runs (6-4-4-4-4-6-6-0) in an over at Old Trafford in 1998. The over included two no-balls that, under ECB regulations, counted for two penalty runs apiece, making a grand total of 38.
*The highest score of his career at any level is 232 not out for St Anne's (Under 15) Cricket Club against Fulwood and Broughton. He recalls that "it was a 20 -overs-a-side game, played on an artificial wicket, and I remember getting dropped when I'd scored just six. My opening partner David Fielding scored 60 not out and we got 319 for 0 in 20 overs. You don't forget days like that, whatever the standard you're playing in".
*Flintoff was Lancashire's winner of the NBC Denis Compton Award in 1997.
*Flintoff holds the record for the most sixes scored for England, beating Ian Botham's record of 67 with a six off India's Piyush Chawla in Mohali on 11 March 2006.
*Flintoff is only the seventh player to have batted on all five days of a Test match, achieving this feat at Mohali, in the same match in which he broke the sixes record. [" [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/10/ask_bearders_156.shtml Stump the Bearded Wonder No 156] ." BBC Sport Test Match Special Blog. 10 October 2007. Accessed 30 May 2008]

In popular culture

*He appears on the cover of the English version of EA Sports' video games "Cricket 2005" and "Cricket 07".
*Flintoff was joint winner of the Beard Liberation Front's "Beard of the Year" award in 2004 with NATFHE union leader Paul Mackney and then won again in 2005.

Autobiographies

He has written several books: "Being Freddie", "Freddie", and "Andrew Flintoff, My Life in Pictures". He is a supporter of Manchester City Football Club, although he states in his autobiography that he prefers the two rugby codes.

Family

He married Rachael Wools on 5 March 2005, and they have three children: a daughter, Holly (born September 2004); and two sons - Corey (born March 2006), and Rocky (born 7 April 2008). [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/04/11/flintoff-s-tot-no3-is-rocky-89520-20379084/] ] He has the names Rachael, Holly and Corey tattooed on his left shoulder.

Andrew's father, Colin, and his brother, Chris, both played cricket, with Colin still playing for Whittingham Cricket Club near Preston. During his innings of 167 against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July 2004, one six off Jermaine Lawson was hit high into the Ryder Stand and was almost caught by his dad, who fumbled the ball and dropped it. Colin Flintoff remarked "If I'd taken it he'd have been the first Test batsman to be caught out by his dad!". [" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/3939959.stm Flintoff dropped by his dad] ." BBC Sport. 30 July 2004. Accessed 13 March 2006]

Test Centuries