Full name
Andrew Flintoff
Born
December 6, 1977, Preston, Lancashire
Current age 42 years 8 days
Major teams England, Brisbane Heat, Chennai Super Kings, ICC World XI, Lancashire
Nickname Freddie
Playing role Allrounder
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Height
6 ft 4 in
Education Ribbleton Hall High school
Test debut |
England v South Africa at Nottingham, Jul 23-27, 1998 scorecard |
Last Test |
England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 20-23, 2009 scorecard |
Test statistics |
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ODI debut |
England v Pakistan at Sharjah, Apr 7, 1999 scorecard |
Last ODI |
West Indies v England at Gros Islet, Apr 3, 2009 scorecard |
ODI statistics |
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T20I debut |
England v Australia at Southampton, Jun 13, 2005 scorecard |
Last T20I |
England v India at Durban, Sep 19, 2007 scorecard |
T20I statistics |
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First-class debut |
1995 |
Last First-class |
England v Australia at The Oval, Aug 20-23, 2009 scorecard |
List A debut |
1995 |
Last List A |
West Indies v England at Gros Islet, Apr 3, 2009 scorecard |
T20s debut |
Yorkshire v Lancashire at Leeds, Jul 14, 2004 scorecard |
Last T20s |
Brisbane Heat v Hobart Hurricanes at Brisbane, Jan 15, 2015 scorecard |
Future generations might look at Andrew Flintoff's career figures and wonder what all the fuss was about. In Tests he averaged 31 with bat, and 32 with ball. For all the talk of fearsome fast bowling, only three five-fors featured among his 226 wickets. His one-day figures were good without being outstanding, and his Lancashire ones nothing special. But what the stats don't show is his presence, and the uplifting effect that Flintoff at his finest had on his team-mates, and crowds. The game treasures few things more than an all-action allrounder. Flintoff became one of English cricket's iconic figures and his presence helped to gain the game popularity as the new century developed.
"Freddie" was selected for England in 1998 as much on promise as performance, and underperformed at first, not helped by problems with weight and attitude. He was always a big man - 6ft 4ins and anywhere from 15-17 stone, depending on the recent calorie count - and the strain of juggernauting in and bowling at 90mph was inevitably a strain: his knees and ankles took multiple poundings from pitches and surgeons' scalpels.
He was always a correct, powerful batsman, sometimes hesitant against quality spin. His bowling was always wholehearted and occasionally magnificent, when he was probing away outside off with a hint of reverse swing at high pace. But it wasn't until the New Zealand tour early in 2002 that Flintoff finally scored a Test century or took more than four wickets in a match. He looked established at last - but then another injury kept him out of the 2002-03 Ashes, although he was fit enough for the World Cup that followed in South Africa, where he was the most economical bowler on view.
That kicked off Flintoff's golden period - three home seasons when he was at his princely peak. First there was 2003, when a six off Makhaya Ntini was still rising as it thudded into the Bedser Stand at The Oval. In 2004 he finally slipped the handbrake and bowled at his fastest - and also smacked a rollicking Test-best 167 against West Indies at Edgbaston, when one of his seven sixes was memorably dropped by his father in the stands. And then there was the crowning glory of 2005, when he bestrode the Ashes series and was undoubtedly the leading cricketer in the world, a fact acknowledged by Wisden. The photograph of him consoling Brett Lee after England narrowly beat Australia at Edgbaston became the photograph to capture one of the great Test series.
After that, his body started rebelling. To make matters worse he was subsequently horribly miscast as captain in Australia in 2006-07, sometimes looking forlorn as his team sunk to a 5-0 whitewash. Worse came when an embarrassing tumble from a pedalo in the Caribbean after a late-night drinking session, which was plastered all over the newspapers, was the lowest point of in an abortive World Cup challenge
He coaxed one last big effort out of those creaking joints in 2009, demolishing the Aussies at Lord's before, uncharacteristically grazing in the outfield rather than catching tracer bullets in the slips, he virtually ensured the return of the urn with the pinpoint run-out of Ricky Ponting at The Oval. And that, sadly, was just about that: the Oval Test was Flintoff's last serious outing on the cricket field. Bullish statements about a comeback to limited-overs cricket were a regular feature of the next 12 months before finally, in September 2010, came the doleful but increasingly inevitable announcement that the body couldn't take it. One of cricket's nearly-greats had gone.
But not quite gone, it turned out. Four years later, a period filled with TV reality shows, expeditions and derring do, he announced his comeback to T20s for Lancashire. Those who feared for him had no need. He stood up to the challenge and briefly threatened to cap his return in storybook fashion as Lancashire finished beaten finalists.
ESPNcricinfo staff
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June 21, 1998
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Hits 61 off 24 balls at
Old Trafford, including 34 off an Alex Tudor over, to help Lancashire chase 250 set by Surrey. The teams have scored 146 and 151 in the first innings. This innings comes a fortnight before the Old Trafford Test against South Africa, and Wasim Akram, the Lancashire captain, says Flintoff would already be playing Tests had he been born in Pakistan.
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July 23, 1998
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On
Test debut against South Africa at Trent Bridge, claims Jacques Kallis
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July 13, 2000
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After consistent criticism about his weight, hits 42 not out against Zimbabwe in a
low-scoring ODI at Old Trafford to win Man of the Match. Says the famous line afterwards, "Not bad for a fat lad."
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January-February, 2002
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Returns to India post Christmas for the one-day series. Wins England a
close series-leveller with a tight final over, and runs around the Wankede Stadium with his shirt off.
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March 15, 2002
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In his 13th Test, crosses 50 for the first time, and makes sure it's a big one. Hits 163-ball 137 in the second innings of the
Christchurch Test is overshadowed by Graham Thorpe, though, who scores 200 in 231 balls.
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August, 2002
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Picks up a hernia, which forces him to miss the final Test at The Oval against India, and the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Travels to Australia for the Ashes series, but is clearly unfit and doesn't play any Test.
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May-June, 2003
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Is hit on the shoulder by Sajid Mahmood, during a Lancashire net session, and is unable to bowl for the first part of the season. Misses Tests against Zimbabwe. Returns to England action in the NatWest Challenge against Pakistan, and is a big help for Michael Vaughan in his first two one-day tournaments as captain. Bowls 28 overs for 91 runs and five wickets
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August-September, 2003
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Makes 142 off 146 balls in the second innings of the
second Test against South Africa, breaking his bat in the process, but England lose by an innings and 92 runs. Makes 95 at
The Oval to help England level the series.
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March-September, 2004
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Plays a key role with 11 wickets at 29 as England win 3-0 in West Indies. Scores a century in
the final Test, but the limelight in that match clearly belongs to Brian Lara for his 400.
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March, 2006
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Is named England captain for Tests and ODIs in India after Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick are forced home. Helps England come from 0-1 down to level the series with victory in
Mumbai.
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May-June, 2006
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Continues as England captain against Sri Lanka at home, but picks up an ankle injury in the third Test and misses rest of the summer. Recovers from injury in September, and is named captain for Champions Trophy and Ashes series.
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August, 2007
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Returns to action in the one-day series against India, taking a career-best 5 for 56 in
the second match at Bristol.
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July 31, 2008
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Having endured another will-he-won't-he fitness race at the start of the 2008 home summer, Flintoff returned in time for the second Test against South Africa and produced a herculean spell in the third
at Edgbaston. Many felt that Flintoff had lost a competitive edge since the 2005 Ashes, but when Aleem Dar wrongly denied him an lbw against Jacques Kallis, he was fired back to his inspiring best. Flintoff won
a memorable contest by uprooting Kallis's off stump in his next over, but South Africa won the match and series to end Michael Vaughan's captaincy reign.
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February 15, 2009
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Having picked up a hip injury Flintoff was bowling through immense pain
at St John's against the West Indies. In the way that characterised most of his career sheer hard work and guts still drove him to three first-innings wickets, but the grimaces were alarming. Restricted movement didn't help an already wooden batting style and he recorded a pair and limped out of the Test series.
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April 3, 2009
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Having returned from injury two games before Flintoff demonstrated his force as a limited-over bowler by ripping out five West Indian batsmen for 19 runs in the fifth game
in St Lucia. Having dealt with the top order he returned to pick up Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul and Sulieman Benn in successive deliveries to seal England the series and his first hat-trick. It remains his last one-day international Flintoff played for England.
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April 10, 2009
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His ODI hat-trick a week before was certainly well timed because come the IPL auction, Flintoff became, along with England team-mate, Kevin Pietersen, the joint most-expensive player in the world. He signed for the Chennai Super Kings for US$1.55 million
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April to May 2009
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Much was expected of Flintoff when the IPL got underway in South Africa but he failed to live-up to his pre-tournament billing. He played just three games before tearing the meniscus in his right knee and flying home. During his three appearances, his normally water-tight bowling was dispatched to all corners and he arrived home facing an army of critics who questioned the choice to play IPL cricket months before a crucial Ashes series.
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July 15, 2009
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Having been forced under the knife, Flintoff missed the first half of the English season, but with the Ashes in sight, he hauled himself up for a final fling against the Aussies. Like the rest of his team he was whole-hearted but ineffectual at Cardiff and with his body rebelling once more he gathered the word's media to announce he would
retire from Test cricket at the end of the series. It prompted the start of a summer-long leaving tour and the announcement split opinion, with many arguing it would distract from England's cause.
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July 20, 2009
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The decision proved an inspiration as Flintoff, freed from the responsibility of looking after his fragile body, flew into the Aussies
at Lord's. In front of an emotional and charged crowd his second-innings 5 for 92 set aside any pretensions of an Aussie run chase and earned him a place on the hallowed Lord's honours board.
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August 23, 2000
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With his body ravaged, Flintoff's unrivalled presence was all he had left to offer England come the final Test
at The Oval. As young pretender Stuart Broad ran amok to set England up, Flintoff found a way for a final fling. Ricky Pointing and Michael Hussey had calmly compiled a 127-run stand, and England fans were beginning to get twitchy. When Hussey pushed a single to the crocked Flintoff at wide mid-on, no one had banked on Flintoff swooping and hurling a rocket-throw to uproot the off stump at the strikers end with Ponting still short of his ground. It was a fine way to seal another Ashes triumph and end an epic Test career.
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(Nov 6, 2019)
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(Sep 2, 2019)
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(Oct 22, 2018)
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(Dec 5, 2017)
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(Apr 10, 2017)
Apr 28, 2018
Andrew Flintoff behind the wheel of a Formula E car
© Getty Images
Sep 2, 2017
Andrew Flintoff takes a tumble
© Getty Images
Sep 2, 2017
An adventure for Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick
© Getty Images
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NBC Denis Compton Award 1997
Walter Lawrence Trophy 1999
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2004
ICC One-Day Player of the Year 2004
PCA Player of the Year 2004
ICC Player of the Year 2005
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2005
PCA Player of the Year 2005
Awarded the MBE in 2005