Delhi cricket officials say Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff's claim that he was shot at while fielding during a one-day international in New Delhi in 2002 has been scoffed at by Indian cricket officials. Flintoff made the startling revelation in his forthcoming book 'Being Freddie' whose extracts were carried by The Times in London.

"I felt something hit me and, looking down, saw pellets on the ground," wrote Flintoff, referring to the one-dayer at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in the Indian capital in January, 2002. "You expect to have plastic bottles thrown at you when you are playing on the sub-continent, but you don't expect to be shot."

Flintoff said the English team management played down the incident, but New Delhi cricket officials said they were not taking Flintoff's claim seriously. "This is the first time I am hearing of it," said Chand Khanna, a senior official of the Delhi and District Cricket Association and a vice president of the Indian board."If such a thing actually happened, why did the England team keep quiet about it? No one told us a thing then or after the tour. He can't be serious."