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Flintoff for the Ashes?

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think Chappelli must be struggling to think of something to write about - even Fred's own website has been completely silent about the progress of his recovery since January

'twould sell some tickets and Sky subscriptions but I fear he'd go out with a whimper
 

Top_Cat

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If he's keen and fit, he's still one hell of a weapon.

Just don't bat him at 6.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
There's no way that Ponting's so good these days that we need to go to complete panic stations to try to get him out.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Not even convinced we'll see the great man on the cricket pitch again, tbh.

Even if he were fit I think him as part of a 4 man attack on the Aussie grounds is going to seriously test his joints and if we went with a 5 man attack I'm far from sure Prior in current nick is a test #6.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Welcome Galactus - don't mind these Orstrylians - they're a bit sensitive about the Ashes these days
 

Rant0r

International 12th Man
Someone's on crack, surely they need to stop going back and look forward, wasn't backwards thinking what killed them on their last tour ?
 

morgieb

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Would be like recalling Simon Jones. Yeah, they are lethal when fit, but they won't ever get 100% fit.
 

Rant0r

International 12th Man
How good would that be ? And how much of a waste is his career ?

Of course the Flintoff presence far outweighs the actual raw figures
 

Himannv

International Coach
Do England really need him at the moment? Personally speaking, their team has never looked better to be honest.
 

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
The selectors might be briefly tempted by the idea because of the balance that he (sort of) brings to the side. If you want the option of playing 5 bowlers then it's just about acceptable to have Prior 6, Fred 7. But Prior 6, and Bresnan or Broad or Swann at 7 looks unacceptably weak. Plus his pace and aggression would be useful in our attack.

But he's retired and unfit, and therefore there's no chance that they'll pick him. These selectors are not prone to gestures of romantic whimsy, and I'd be bloody amazed if they haven't yet learned the lesson Do Not Pick Unfit Players In The Hope They Might Get Fit When They Get There.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Would be like recalling Simon Jones. Yeah, they are lethal when fit, but they won't ever get 100% fit.
A bit different actually, because Flintoff's worth a place in the team as long as he's fit to get through his action, which is probably somewhere around the 75% mark. Jones dishes up pies unless he's 100% fit.

Agree with most of what's been said in here though - the selectors might've thought about asking him to play a couple of the Ashes Tests if he'd actually been playing ODIs this whole time since his Test match retirement, but he's not even been fit to play those. He's done.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Loved the way he left Test Cricket, let's leave it at that

Still hopeful of him returning to win us the WC tbh though

His recovery was meant to take about 9 months...been a bit longer obviously, but don't write him off yet :ph34r:
 

Woodster

International Captain
The selection of Flintoff would be to avoid making the decision of four or five bowlers. Freddie was a wonderful solution to this dilemma when he was fit, and gave the side perfect balance, however, would be a huge reach to expect him to the reach the standards of times gone by.

I agree with Zaremba, the idea of Swann, Bresnan or Broad at number 7 in an Ashes Test in Australia would fill me with very little confidence in us posting real match winning totals. Everyone is suggesting you need five bowlers to win in Australia, but as it stands we cannot afford to risk that with our options at number 7.
 

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