Flintoff to spearhead Sky Sports coverage

Andrew Flintoff, the face of Sky Sports cricket as they embark on their first full summer of home international coverage, has extended his sporting experience in a host of different directions as part of a new mini-series to help promote the game.

Entitled "Ready Steady Freddie," the slot will feature on Sky Sports' new Saturday morning entertainment show, Cricket AM, which is modelled precisely on the established Soccer AM programme that has proved to be popular, enduring and award-winning.

"I'm a bit of a one-trick pony," claimed Flintoff, although the range of challenges he has so far taken on suggests otherwise. He has practiced his rugby goal-kicking with England's fly-half Charlie Hodgson, taken boxing lessons from the world welterweight champion, Ricky Hatton, and picked up darts-playing tips from the multiple world champion, Phil "The Power" Taylor.

"I've enjoyed it to be honest," said Flintoff. "It has been great to meet different sports people and see how they go about doing their business." Some of the tips have proved more useful than others, given that Flintoff's closest friend in the England team, Steve Harmison, actually took a dartboard on tour to India with him.

"The manager wasn't too happy with the excess baggage," laughed Flintoff. "He had a pole, an oche and everything. We had interconnecting rooms on the trip, and just played darts for six hours a day." For all of Taylor's coaching, however, Flintoff struggled to keep up with his team-mate. "Harmy was far better than anyone else," he joked, "but then he's been going to social clubs since he was eight!"

The Cricket AM show will be hosted by the former BBC children's TV presenter, Simon Thomas, and Anita Rani, the former presenter of an Asian magazine programme, "Desi DNA." Other innovations include a cartoon pairing, "Willow and Stumpy", who will attempt to demystify the game in the manner that Simon Hughes, Channel 4's analyst, did so effectively in recent seasons, and a Sunday morning chat show in the style of "What The Papers Say".

"The shows are designed to appeal to devoted cricket fans and newcomers to the sport alike," said a Sky Sports spokesman. "Each sets out to entertain as well as educate and together they will cover all levels of the game from grass-roots to Test match cricket."

"2006 is a huge year for cricket on Sky Sports," added Barney Francis, executive producer for cricket. "This range of programming boasts something for everyone this summer." In addition to all Test, one-day and Twenty20 international cricket, the coverage will include more than 60 matches at domestic level from the County Championship to the Pro40 tournament, as well as women's and Under-19 internationals.