Fair enough Freddy....I eat my words

[FaaipDeOiad]

Just wondering what the "10" part is doing there?

Oh, well I dunno. I'd say he'd be very close to 5, definately in the top 10.

There's McGrath, Murali and Warne who are clearly the best, and then guys like Shoaib, Kumble, Vass, Bond... I guess Gillespie probably doesn't rate any more. I think you could argue that say Shoaib and Kumble could make the top 5 ahead of him. Either way, he's right up there.

[Zinzan]

Oh, well I dunno. I'd say he'd be very close to 5, definately in the top 10.

There's McGrath, Murali and Warne who are clearly the best, and then guys like Shoaib, Kumble, Vass, Bond... I guess Gillespie probably doesn't rate any more. I think you could argue that say Shoaib and Kumble could make the top 5 ahead of him. Either way, he's right up there.

possibly top 5 ...definately top 10

[aussie]

Lancastrains are never over-rated

[Barney Rubble]

Lancastrains are never over-rated

What about Glen Chapple? Surely he was never worthy of the England squad call-up he received two years ago?

[chalky]

Lancastrains are never over-rated

Anderson, Schofield

[simmy]

Schofield! HAHA! Excellent!

[simmy]

Flintoff is second best seamer in the world at the moment for me behind McGrath obv.

I think he's much a superior bowler than Shaoib as his ability to bowl on flat pitches with reverse swing is exceptional.

Who knows... when McGrath retires, and Harmison bowling consistently like he did at Lords, Jones bowling like he has since Lords... the top three seamers could all be English!

I actually thought that Freddie was a bit overrated before the series started but now, against the best, he is scoring hundreds and taking stack loads of wickets bowling swing at 90mph.

Better than Botham by the end of his career. Mark my words.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Flintoff is a very good bowler but he has to start taking bags of wickets more consistently before he can be considered the second best seamer in the world. He has a tendancy to bowl a really good spell, get one wicket and then go off again after 5 overs because Vaughan doesn't want to overwork him. That's fine, but it means he's never going to rip through sides the way someone like Shoaib can.

[chalky]

Schofield! HAHA! Excellent!

The English Shane Warne

[tassietiger]

Personally, I'd take Simon Jones or Stephen Harmison over Flintoff if we're looking purely at the bowling aspect...

[BoyBrumby]

Flintoff is a very good bowler but he has to start taking bags of wickets more consistently before he can be considered the second best seamer in the world. He has a tendancy to bowl a really good spell, get one wicket and then go off again after 5 overs because Vaughan doesn't want to overwork him. That's fine, but it means he's never going to rip through sides the way someone like Shoaib can.

Vaughan has a funny way of showing it then! Overs bowled by English bowlers thus far:

Flintoff: 160.0
Harmison: 138.3
Giles: 137.0
Jones:102.0
Hoggard: 98.0

Vaughan overbowling Fred is one of my biggest worries this side of Jones's ankle. Fred isn't going to refuse because, well no seamer worth his salt would & he has a heart the size of Lancashire, but his action must take a lot out of his body.

[Beleg]

I think he's much a superior bowler than Shaoib as his ability to bowl on flat pitches with reverse swing is exceptional.

Now, I really had to laugh at this one. Flintoff maybe a superior bowler than Shoaib (and I am not in the mode for arguing for or against) but it definately isn't because of this reason.

[chalky]

Big winter for Freddie to shed ghosts of Kumble & Harbajan on Indian pitches. If he can do that you would have to say he is the complete player.

[aussie]

What about Glen Chapple? Surely he was never worthy of the England squad call-up he received two years ago?

of course he did he was Lancastrian

[Barney Rubble]

of course he did he was Lancastrian

And he did hit 55* off 16 balls against Berkshire or whoever it was, can't forget that......

EDIT: Buckinghamshire, sorry.