Former English international cricketer Andrew Flintoff, popularly known as "Freddie Flintoff," is one of the best all-rounders cricket has ever seen. He is now an English television and radio host. Since his early years, Freddie has been compared to the famous "Sir Ian Botham," and he was on the verge of greatness when injuries slowed him down.
| Born: 6 December 1977 | Nationality: England |
| Years Active: (1998-2009) | Birth Place: Preston, Lancashire |
| Height:6ft 4in | Role: All-rounder |
| Batting Style: Right-handed | Bowling Style: Right-arm Fast |
| Nickname:Freddie |
Colin Flintoff, Flintoff's father, was a plumber, a factory maintenance worker, and the cricket team captain for Dutton Forshaw's second XI. His mother’s name was Susan. Flintoff attended Ribbleton Hall High School and Greenlands Community Primary School (subsequently renamed City of Preston High School).
At the age of 14, he made his first trip overseas to Argentina.
In March 2005, Flintoff and Rachael Wools got married in London's Knightsbridge neighborhood. They have four kids. On his left shoulder, he has tattoos named after his wife and kids.
Flintoff earned nine GCSEs at City of Preston High School, but he decided not to continue his schooling and left at the age of 16. He was an avid chess player when he was young. He played cricket for the Lancashire Schools under-11 and under-15 teams. After that, he participated for 2.5 years, in the under-19 cricket team.
At Trent Bridge, Flintoff made his Test debut in 1998 against South Africa. He was only able to score 17 runs while taking one wicket in the game. By the end of the game, England had won by 8 wickets.
He played his first ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah a year later. Despite a valiant 50-run effort under pressure, Flintoff could not save England's defeat. He had to wait until the return tour to South Africa in late 1999 to rejoin the team after being released following his debut series.
During the 2003 New Zealand tour, Flintoff displayed his best form. After scoring his first Test century, he kept up his strong play and amassed 423 runs against South Africa at an incredible clip.
Despite not having many wickets in hand, Flintoff has remains an important component of the bowling attack. His first five-wicket haul was during England's excellent triumph over the West Indies in 2004 when he finished with scores of 5/58 at Bridgetown. During England's 2004 tour of New Zealand and the West Indies, he amassed 603 runs and 24 wickets.
In preparation for the West Indies tour of England, Flintoff made a comeback for a couple of games with Lancashire. However, he re-injured his ankle and was unable to play in the first Test, which began on May 17, 2007. He missed the entire Test and One-Day series against the West Indies and was also ineligible for the ensuing Test series with India after undergoing another procedure on the same ankle.
During the 2007 World Cup, Flintoff was embroiled in trouble after he was seen drinking alcohol. The incident was afterward referred to as the Fredalo incident.
Flintoff was declared the captain of the England cricket team in February 2006 when vice-captain Marcus Trescothick and skipper Michael Vaughan were ruled out of the opening Test match against India. Flintoff then made the announcement that he would remain in India for the duration of the Test series.
Following his 1998 debut, he quickly established himself as a key member of the England team. In the 2005 Ashes, he was declared England's "Man of the Series." Later, he led the team as both vice-captain and captain.
In one-day international cricket, Flintoff is fourth highest wicket-taker for England with 168 wickets, and he ranked fourteenth with 219 wickets in test cricket. As far as English players are concerned, Flintoff owns the record for most sixes. During a Test match's five days, Flintoff is the seventh player to bat continuously.
Flintoff made the decision to retire from the game in 2009 as a result of several injuries and controversies.
In August 2009, he got five wickets in his final ODI against the West Indies and his final Test against Australia, which England won by 25 runs.
After consulting with medical professionals, Flintoff announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on September 16, 2010.
Sir Ian Botham of this generation- Andrew Flintoff, an all-rounder player whose presence contributes to the game’s popularity in the country in the 21st century. He was a passionate bowler and a powerful batsman. However, sometimes he felt hesitant while facing high-caliber spin.
| ODI | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 141 | Run Scored: 3394 |
| Batting Average: 32.02 | Top Score: 123 |
| 100/50-3/18: 0/0/0 | Wickets: 169 |
| T20 | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 7 | Run Scored: 76 |
| Batting Average: 12.67 | Top Score: 31 |
| 100/50-0/0: 0/0/0 | Wickets: 5 |
| Test | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 79 | Run Scored: 3845 |
| Batting Average: 31.78 | Top Score: 167 |
| 100/50-5/26: 0/0/0 | Wickets:226 |
Sachin Tendulkar of India fields during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Group B match between India and the Netherlands at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on March 9, 2011 in Delhi, India.
Sachin Tendulkar of India raises his bat on scoring his century during the Group B ICC World Cup Cricket match between India and South Africa at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on March 12, 2011 in Nagpur, India.
Sachin Tendulkar of India hits out watched by wicketkeeper Matt Prior of England during day five of the 4th npower Test Match between England and India at The Kia Oval on August 22, 2011 in London, England.
Sachin Tendulkar reach the iconic landmark of 100 international centuries against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in 2012
Sachin's first Test century
Sachin Tendulkar’s dream to hold the World Cup in his hands and in 2011 it finally happened.
