Boycott wants Flintoff batting at #3 !
The batting has let England down again and I can't understand why they keep sticking Andrew Flintoff, our best batsman, down at No 5.
Can you imagine the West Indies allowing Viv Richards, when he was in his pomp, to sit in the pavilion while four lesser batsmen went in ahead of him?
Well, that's what England are doing at the moment. We are letting batsmen who are not as good as Flintoff go in ahead of him. When they make a cock-up he has to come in and try to get them out of trouble. It's just stupid.
People are wary of Flintoff's talent and his power, and rightly so. He's a huge figure who can dominate in any form of cricket. Just because he bowls and captains the side doesn't mean that you should stick him down at No 5 or No 6.
In one-day cricket there are 300 balls in an innings and you want your best batsmen to face as many of them as possible. I'd like to see England try Flintoff at No 3, which would allow him and Kevin Pietersen to face as many of the 50 overs as possible. If they fail, then someone else has a chance to shine.
I'd also like to see England recall Darren Gough. He's a winner, whether it's Strictly Come Dancing or international cricket. Flintoff could do with some help at the moment and England need old heads and young legs.
Goughie has the character and personality to lift the dressing room. But England also need his skill and experience of bowling with the new ball and at the death in one-day cricket.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ma...c13.xml&sSheet=/sport/2006/04/13/ixcrick.html
The batting has let England down again and I can't understand why they keep sticking Andrew Flintoff, our best batsman, down at No 5.
Can you imagine the West Indies allowing Viv Richards, when he was in his pomp, to sit in the pavilion while four lesser batsmen went in ahead of him?
Well, that's what England are doing at the moment. We are letting batsmen who are not as good as Flintoff go in ahead of him. When they make a cock-up he has to come in and try to get them out of trouble. It's just stupid.
People are wary of Flintoff's talent and his power, and rightly so. He's a huge figure who can dominate in any form of cricket. Just because he bowls and captains the side doesn't mean that you should stick him down at No 5 or No 6.
In one-day cricket there are 300 balls in an innings and you want your best batsmen to face as many of them as possible. I'd like to see England try Flintoff at No 3, which would allow him and Kevin Pietersen to face as many of the 50 overs as possible. If they fail, then someone else has a chance to shine.
I'd also like to see England recall Darren Gough. He's a winner, whether it's Strictly Come Dancing or international cricket. Flintoff could do with some help at the moment and England need old heads and young legs.
Goughie has the character and personality to lift the dressing room. But England also need his skill and experience of bowling with the new ball and at the death in one-day cricket.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ma...c13.xml&sSheet=/sport/2006/04/13/ixcrick.html