Freddie Flintoff

[Scratch]

BBC reckons he may be set to announce his retirement from all forms of cricket

[PTP]

sad day - he's completley ****ed though - i was expecting this too happen, he was on the radio about a month or two ago and talking about playing for lancs 2nds over in liverpool, and I was thinking about going over - but he pulled out - i thought then....hmm

Plus hes just finished doing a second series of a league of their own and imagine that he's thinking maybe moving into more tv, probably with sky

Shame - i actually went and watched him as a 17yr old at old trafford in a day nighter for lancs - he was ****ing class -

[Shaggy]

Inevitable.

[Tee]

Sad news. Never forget THAT Ashes series he had. Perhaps he could have and should have done more to protect and care for his body though.

[Shaggy]

Sad news. Never forget THAT Ashes series he had. Perhaps he could have and should have done more to protect and care for his body though.

Aye. A champion cricketer though of the highest order. Loved how he reserved his best performances for the Aussies. No wonder so many of them are so bitter about him.

[Tee]

How would you rate him in terms of the best ever English all rounders? Up there with Botham or not? If he had a couple more series like the Ashes one he would have been the best English all rounder ever IMO. Just falls short now though.

[Scratch]

Class act, more as a bowler than a batter. A worthy successor to Beefy (but not quite as good in my mind) and will be rightly regarded as one of England's best.

So then, who is the new Flintoff then? Broad? Can bat, can bowl?

[Tee]

Anyone remember the Freddie banter with Tino Best?

[Reece]

Yeah was gonna say Broad.

I've never been a huge cricket fan, but enjoy watching the big England series', and Flintoff was a real character and a great player.

[Reece]

Andrew Flintoff calls time on cricket career
Flintoff played 79 Tests for England
Flintoff played a key role in the Ashes successes of 2005 and 2009

Andrew Flintoff has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket "with disappointment and sadness".

The injury-plagued all-rounder, 32, revealed the decision came after consultation with medical advisers.

He said: "Having been told my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative."

Lancashire star Flintoff played a key role in England's Ashes successes of 2005 and 2009 but had been dogged by knee problems in recent years.

He added in a statement: "I was told the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year, following the latest of a series of operations, would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.

"I would like to thank my family, Lancashire, England, all my sponsors, friends and advisers for all the help and support they have given me throughout my career.

606: DEBATE
All the best Freddie and long may you be remember for what you were, fun, lion hearted and larger than life

BOBALIZARD

"Last, but by no means least, I am indebted to the encouragement and support I have always received from England's magnificent supporters.

"I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take."

Flintoff retired from Test cricket at the end of the 2009 Ashes series, having another knee operation two days later, while turning down the offer of a new central contract from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

However, he repeatedly expressed his desire "to be the best one-day player in the world" and underlined his continued commitment to his country for limited-overs matches.

Flintoff signed a new three-year contract with Lancashire in November 2009 while undergoing injury rehabilitation in Dubai but was forced to call off a planned comeback for the county's 2nd XI this summer.

Although he was named in Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings' provisional squad for the Champions League Twenty20, and his agent Andrew Chandler revealed that Flintoff was close to signing a deal to play domestic Twenty20 cricket for Queensland, fears grew that he might never represent England again.

In 79 Tests, he scored 3,845 runs at an average of 31.77, with five centuries - and although he captured 226 wickets at 32.78, he only took five wickets in an innings on three occasions.

Born in Preston, Flintoff made his reputation in schoolboy cricket as a hard-hitting right-hander and right-arm fast bowler and he made his Test debut against South Africa in July 1998 at the age of 20.

England had struggled for much of the 1990s as Australia became the pre-eminent power of the cricketing world, and Flintoff was the latest of a number of all-rounders weighed down under the expectation of being "the new Ian Botham".

In his early career, he was often criticised for seemingly carrying too much weight - and his famous response was to celebrate a one-day international victory over India in Mumbai in 2002 by removing his shirt and waving it above his head.

Injuries had deprived Flintoff of the chance to play against Australia in his early England career - but as the side grew in confidence under coach Duncan Fletcher, the Lancastrian's finest hour came in 2005.

More to follow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/9005165.stm

[Shaggy]

How would you rate him in terms of the best ever English all rounders? Up there with Botham or not? If he had a couple more series like the Ashes one he would have been the best English all rounder ever IMO. Just falls short now though.

Tough one. You'd have to give it to Botham but I think had Flintoff stayed fit for longer and played more he might've proved his equal. Flintoff's bowling figures don't do him justice at all, and for what it's worth I think he was a better bowler than Beefy was - despite the huge number of wickets Botham took and Fred's less-than-flattering numbers.

[Scratch]

Still not convinced by Broad as either batter or bowler, as he does neither consistently. One thing he does have is time on his side, and a top attitude. I'd love him to become a consistent line/length bowler, like McGrath was for the Aussies, cos with his height and pace he could become a real threat on a regular basis.

[Rich]

From the bits and pieces I've heard about Flintoff (stuff in the news and stuff I've heard that I know is true) he might have had the talent but he didn't look after his body in the way a professional sports person should and this must have contributed to his injuries. IMO.

Loved his booze just a little too much.

[Scratch]

Tough one. You'd have to give it to Botham but I think had Flintoff stayed fit for longer and played more he might've proved his equal. Flintoff's bowling figures don't do him justice at all, and for what it's worth I think he was a better bowler than Beefy was - despite the huge number of wickets Botham took and Fred's less-than-flattering numbers.

I think you do Beefy's bowling a disservice. His ability to swing the ball both ways was immense, and Flintoff never came close to that. But Freddie was a magnificent bowler in his own right, and whilst never a great wicket taker, was fantastic at keeping the runs down and also at breaking partnerships.

Botham wins it hands down for me, but Freddie is still one of my favourite all time players.

[Shaggy]

I think you do Beefy's bowling a disservice. His ability to swing the ball both ways was immense, and Flintoff never came close to that. But Freddie was a magnificent bowler in his own right, and whilst never a great wicket taker, was fantastic at keeping the runs down and also at breaking partnerships.

Botham wins it hands down for me, but Freddie is still one of my favourite all time players.

I know exactly how good a bowler Botham was. I just think Flintoff edges it, that's all. It's a toss of a coin really. While Beefy was amazing and the best all-rounder around, along with Imran Khan, he was never the best bowler in the world. I think Flintoff was. I know who I would rather have faced.