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Full name Andrew Flintoff
Born December 6, 1977, Preston, Lancashire
Current age 30 years 163 days
Major teams England,ICC World XI,Lancashire
Nickname Freddie
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Height
6 ft 4 in
Education Ribbleton Hall High school
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
67
110
6
3381
167
32.50
5268
64.17
5
24
457
77
44
0
ODIs
127
112
14
3090
123
31.53
3533
87.46
3
16
275
87
41
0
T20Is
7
7
1
76
31
12.66
60
126.66
0
0
7
2
5
0
First-class
166
261
18
8366
167
34.42
15
49
169
0
List A
268
241
26
6337
143
29.47
6
32
100
0
Twenty20
15
15
1
318
85
22.71
205
155.12
0
1
34
13
7
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
67
118
12562
6308
197
5/58
8/156
32.02
3.01
63.7
10
2
0
ODIs
127
106
5026
3665
146
5/56
5/56
25.10
4.37
34.4
6
1
0
T20Is
7
7
150
161
5
2/23
2/23
32.20
6.44
30.0
0
0
0
First-class
166
19627
9619
307
5/24
31.33
2.94
63.9
3
0
List A
268
8818
6080
266
5/56
5/56
22.85
4.13
33.1
10
1
0
Twenty20
15
14
281
309
14
3/4
3/4
22.07
6.59
20.0
0
0
0
Career statistics
Test debut
England v South Africa at Nottingham, Jul 23-27, 1998 scorecard
Last Test
Australia v England at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2007 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
England v Pakistan at Sharjah, Apr 7, 1999 scorecard
In the summer of 2005, Andrew Flintoff established himself as England's greatest allround cricketer since the days of Ian Botham, producing a succession of wholehearted and inspirational performances to reap 402 runs and 24 wickets in five Tests, and carry his team to glory in arguably the greatest Ashes series of all time. It was a performance that reverberated around the globe, and propelled Flintoff to the sort of superstar status that his many admirers had always believed was within his grasp, but had often despaired of him ever achieving. Big, northern and mightily proud of it, he hits the ball harder than any English cricketer since Botham, and uses his colossal 6'4" frame to generate speeds in excess of 90mph which, allied to his metronomic accuracy and burgeoning mastery of reverse-swing, make him one of the most intimidating bowlers in the game. For a time Freddie was destructive and self-destructive in equal measure - his precocious skills and size led to a Test debut at the age of 20, but two years later he was struggling with his weight and his motivation, barely able to bowl because of persistent back problems, and barely worth a place in the Lancashire seconds. In 2001, he was given an ultimatum by his management team, and requested to be sent to Rod Marsh's ECB Academy. It gave him the motivation he needed, and when England SOSed for him during that winter's India tour, he was a reformed character. Despite being found out by India's spinners, he picked up a maiden Test century against New Zealand and was an integral factor in a successful home summer in 2002. Unfortunately, it was all too exciting for the England management. By the time they flew out to Australia in October, Flintoff had been bowled into the ground, and could barely walk after a hernia operation. But he returned to action in time for the World Cup, where he was the most economical bowler in the tournament, and come the 2003 season, he was ready to take centre stage. He came of age in the Test series against South Africa, thumping a therapeutic 95 in England's remarkable comeback at The Oval to go with a defiant century at Lord's, and produced a starring role in England's series win in the Caribbean, where he learned at last to slip the handbrake and become a genuine attacking option with the ball. After helping England to a 2-1 series win in South Africa, he flew home early for an operation on his troublesome left ankle, forwent his honeymoon to speed his recuperation, then returned fitter and better than ever. He single-handedly inspired England to a two-run victory over Australia at Edgbaston, in one of the greatest Tests of all time, followed up with a maiden Ashes hundred at Trent Bridge, sealed the series with a marathon five-wicket haul at The Oval, and embarked on a 17-hour bender culminating in an open-top bus parade through the streets of London. By now, he was a global superstar to bracket alongside Sachin Tendulkar or Shane Warne, but the trappings of fame and the hindrances of his ever-troublesome ankle combined to sap his effectiveness. He stepped into the breach to captain England on an injury-plagued tour of India in March 2006 - and inspired his side to a series-levelling win at Mumbai - but within four months he was out of action once again. In his absence Andrew Strauss captained England to victory over Pakistan, but Flintoff persuaded the selectors to put him in charge for the Ashes in 2006-07 - a desperate campaign that resulted in a 5-0 thumping. Though he atoned in part by leading England to a surprise victory in the subsequent one-day CB Series, he was disciplined by the England management for his excessive drinking and at the subsequent World Cup, with Michael Vaughan back in charge, stripped of the vice-captaincy after drunkenly capsizing a pedalo in St Lucia following England's defeat to New Zealand. He continued to pound away with the ball, visibly discomforted by his ankle problem, but his efforts with the bat became embarrassing. He didn't feature in any of England's seven Tests of the 2007 summer, and by the time he had undergone a third ankle operation that September, many wondered if he would ever add to his tally of 67 Tests. Andrew Miller (November 2007)
Notes
NBC Denis Compton Award 1997
Walter Lawrence Trophy 1999
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2004
ICC One-Day Player of the Year 2004
ICC Player of the Year 2005
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2005
Awarded the MBE in 2005
