Andrew Flintoff to retire from Test cricket

[Skater]

As much of a hero as Andrew Flintoff is, he can barely put two matches together now without limping off injured. All those years of fast bowling (with an unhelpful technique) have cost the big fella dear and you must think retirement has crossed his mind. Now 31, his body is getting more battered and takes longer to recover with every game he plays in. So. The question we don't really want to ask ourselves. Is it nearly the time we pulled the plug on Freddie?

His golden years were between 2003 and 2005 when Flintoff averaged 40.24 with the bat (4 of his 5 Test hundreds came in this period) and 27.54 as a bowler. In ODIs in this time he averaged 44.97 with bat and, with ball, 23.88. Worth noting, too, is that he played 35 Tests and 52 ODIs in these two years.

Compare that with the time since. Three and a half years, and Freddie averages 35.70 with the bat in Tests and 28.45 with the ball. In ODIs, he averages 33.61 bat-in-hand and 24.23 with the ball. These figures come from 47 Tests and 75 ODIs - just 35 more matches but in 18 months more. The big man has been ravaged by injury.

It used to be alright, because he was England's talisman, 'Our Fred'. Now though it is becoming clear Flintoff is injured too frequently for our liking and when he does play he's not putting in the performances we have come to expect. It's not going to get any better either. At his age his body is getting weaker all the time and in these days of building teams for the future it should be something for the management to think about leaving him out once and for all.

Personally, I can see Fred retiring from Test cricket in the near future - maybe even sooner than I thought with the news he may not be fit for the 2nd Ashes Test. He would then have the problem playing for his country with no hope of winning anything and in the form of cricket the public hold in the lowest regard. It's simple fact England are not going to light up the One Day arena for the foreseeable future. So might he just retire from international cricket as a whole?

Lancashire fans might like it, but then they will be lumbered with an ageing, fragile down-in-the-dumps player who has had his best days and is now lacking motivation. A sad way to see the end of England's 21st century hero.

Is this the end of Freddie Flintoff?

 

[King Pietersen]

He's still got an ODi and T20 future, but think he needs to pull the plug on his Test career after this series is done. He's not a strike bowler, his batting is hit and miss, and he's never fit enough. The problem could be though that we don't have a replacement.

 

[Amiya]

That's a point to consider. I loved watching Flintoff batting in his peak but he has not been consistent. He have a poor fitness and is not meant for longer version of game. He should put attention on T20 and Odi's. Then only i can see him continuing his carrer.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I was thinking the same.

He was never that great in tests. Well at his peak he was fantastic, the best all rounder in a long time. From 2004-India 2006 he was unbelievable, however recently, despite his fantastic presence and occasionally devastating spells he hasn't been great. Although I actually think his batting has been well underrated recently and is pretty good.

In ODI's he is one of the best players ever. Keep him.

 

[barmyarmy]

Amazing how Jones, Flintoff and Vaughan have all been decimated by injury since 2005.

 

[Howsie]

Does England actually have another all-rounder to fall back on. Bresnan is more of a bowler isn't he?

Are there any young all-rounders moving up the ranks, hows James Harris going?

 

[barmyarmy]

Bresnan in not an all-rounder. He's definitely less of one than Swann and Broad are.

 

[shravi]

Does England actually have another all-rounder to fall back on. Bresnan is more of a bowler isn't he?

Are there any young all-rounders moving up the ranks, hows James Harris going?

He's not much of a batsman, I don't think. His bowling alone should probably get him into the side in a few years.

 

[Skater]

Does England actually have another all-rounder to fall back on. Bresnan is more of a bowler isn't he?

Are there any young all-rounders moving up the ranks, hows James Harris going?

This is the problem, we don't really have an all rounder other than Flintoff. Bringing in Harmison as cover for him shows that. The closest we have to an all rounder is Broad.

Skater added 0 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...

Just to add - I was shocked at just how good for an all rounder Freddie's stats were between 2003 and 2005.

 

[Howsie]

He's not much of a batsman, I don't think. His bowling alone should probably get him into the side in a few years.

He does average 22 in FC which is pretty good for a 18-19 year old bowler. He bats at eight for his FC team too, so he must have some ability.

 

[Skater]

He does average 22 in FC which is pretty good for a 18-19 year old bowler. He bats at eight for his FC team too, so he must have some ability.

He plays for Glamorgan, though, who are generally short of good players and are going nowhere in Division 2. To get back on the radar Harris needs to move to a Division 1, or at least a top end Division 2 county. I don't think he's the answer to our all rounder gap either.

 

[Deleted member 11215]

Is it only me who sees the reason for his injury to be the fault of Strauss? Why was he bowling him in such long spells on a flat pitch when the opposition had racked up 500+ runs? Madness!

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

I liked Freddie's attitude in the first innings with the bat, it was lifting.

 

[Mercules]

Yea I don't think he can have a sustained impact in Tests anymore

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Well there is Samit Patel who could be a great player for us if he's given the chance, but I doubt that'll happen because he obviously doesn't listen to the coaches.

As for Freddie, I reckon he should give up Tests because he clearly can't last that long but carry on for a bit in T20's and ODi's. During his peak he was up there with the best of them and his stats prove that. However recently he can't hold it together for long enough.