Flintoff "was fit" for Headingley

[Langeveldt]

Flintoff was fit for Headingley, says agent | Cricket News | The Ashes - England v Australia 2009 | Cricinfo.com

Want peoples thoughts on this..

Personally I think Flintoff's time is up now, a very good player, granted, but I'm not quite sure what right he has to demand selection in an England team.. Especially when he's half fit.. I don't care if he wants a swansong, he's a half fit fast bowler, and I think Strauss and Flower were well within their rights to tell him he wasn't fit to play.. He might be a hard man, able to play through pain, but is he realistically going to bowl a side out? Enough of the attention for mine, I think England need to find a new all rounder and he needs to enjoy himself in the IPL..

[Jono]

Strauss, Flower and co. would have been belted from pillar to post if they selected Flintoff and he broke down.

The 'adrenaline' argument doesn't fly. If a player looks underdone at training, you don't just bank (in a 5 day game, with no subs!) on him being up for it come game-day. Its too big a risk.

England made the right decision. The fact that they collapsed in two innings and played pathetically notwithstanding.

[GIMH]

Hingeh, you make some valid points but pad it out with your usual BS. I personally think we should have picked him but can see why we didn't, alas the IPL is completely irrelevant to this...

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Jono

Strauss, Flower and co. would have been belted from pillar to post if they selected Flintoff and he broke down.

The 'adrenaline' argument doesn't fly. If a player looks underdone at training, you don't just bank (in a 5 day game, with no subs!) on him being up for it come game-day. Its too big a risk.

England made the right decision. The fact that they collapsed in two innings and played pathetically notwithstanding.

Yeah, should have replaced him with a batsman, totally dire decision to bring Harmison instead

[Jono]

Yeah **** decision. I blame Broad

[tooextracool]

I'd like to see fitness reports off his before the final day at Lords. I would be very surprised if he was much fitter than he is now. It's all a bit irrelevant IMO, because a half-fit Flintoff is sadly still a country mile better than almost every bowler in our country and with his batting and the balance he brings to the side ,as long he doesnt break down completely, is more or less a necessity at the Oval. England aren't going to come close to winning this series without KP and Flintoff, everyone including the neighbour's dog knows that so there is little point saying things like 'What right does he have to selection' and what not.

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, concur with Jono & Cozza, Fred was too big a risk but we tooled up badly replacing him with an erratic seamer rather than a batsman. Seriously doubt if we've put out a weaker top order in the last decade.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Yeah, concur with Jono & Cozza, Fred was too big a risk but we tooled up badly replacing him with an erratic seamer rather than a batsman. Seriously doubt if we've put out a weaker top order in the last decade.

The funny thing is, we negated the strength we have in having two bowlers who can bat as well as Broad and Swann by having such a non-entity of a batting order. Mind you, we batted a similar sort of line-up against the Windies earlier in the season, just that they were too weak for it to be an issue

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Hingeh, you make some valid points but pad it out with your usual BS. I personally think we should have picked him but can see why we didn't, alas the IPL is completely irrelevant to this...

Nah in all seriousness, the guy has earnt a pay packet in the IPL.. Good luck to him

[James_W]

He couldn't have played. Leaving him out was the only option for him to have any chance of playing the final test he deserves.

[pasag]

"I'm fit!"

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

The funny thing is, we negated the strength we have in having two bowlers who can bat as well as Broad and Swann by having such a non-entity of a batting order. Mind you, we batted a similar sort of line-up against the Windies earlier in the season, just that they were too weak for it to be an issue

Exactly. No disrespect to the Windies, but one has to question if too much was really learnt or could be read into the performances against them. Bopara has been cruelly exposed by an Aussie attack that, with the best will in the world, has really only just hit its straps in the last test.

West Indies didn't want to be here.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by pasag

"I'm fit!"

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Exactly. No disrespect to the Windies, but one has to question if too much was really learnt or could be read into the performances against them. Bopara has been cruelly exposed by an Aussie attack that, with the best will in the world, has really only just hit its straps in the last test.

West Indies didn't want to be here.

You know what Brumby, wouldn't it have been good if, as was at one point planned, Sri Lanka had come over? I wonder whether our Ashes XI would have been any different.

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

You know what Brumby, wouldn't it have been good if, as was at one point planned, Sri Lanka had come over? I wonder whether our Ashes XI would have been any different.

If a side doesn't want to be there, and there captain doesn't rock up until 2 days before the first test, then, regardless of who they are, they should GTFO.. Subsequent events have only shown that the WI in particular should be taken less and less seriously as a test side with each passing series..

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

You know what Brumby, wouldn't it have been good if, as was at one point planned, Sri Lanka had come over? I wonder whether our Ashes XI would have been any different.

it's all part of the dastardly IPL conspiracy to destroy English cricket, clearly.