Stark images of Ashes failure

Mike Brearley, in The Observer, picks out four images of the Ashes humiliation, starting with Andrew Flintoff's batting and captaincy. Brearley feels that the captaincy was a constraint, an oppression for an immensely gifted and likeable cricketer.

An Australia fast bowler bowled to him just short of a length and just outside off stump. Flintoff carved at the ball, it caught the outside edge and flew first bounce to the fielder placed for just this, perhaps 20 yards in from the third-man boundary. Flintoff stood stock still, looked back and suddenly jerked as if to run. My guess was that he hadn't noticed the fielder there, otherwise there would have been an easy single. He seemed in a dream. How could he not have noticed?

Read the full piece here.