Andrew Flintoff, better known in the cricketing community as “Freddie,” is a former England cricketer. Flintoff is one of the greatest all-rounders in the game’s history, adding to his team’s success with both the ball and the bat.
This right-handed batsman and fast bowler, who was born on December 6, 1977, has played in many leagues around the world and was a key member of the England cricket team for several years.
Background
Flintoff had a natural affinity for cricket from a young age. He did not want to continue his studies and dropped out at the age of sixteen.
He was a member of the Lancashire School Under-11 and Under-15 cricket teams as a boy. After that, he spent two and a half years with the England Under-19 side.
Flintoff was appointed captain of England’s Under-19 teams for their 1996-97 Test match tour to Pakistan and their 1997 home match against Zimbabwe.
Debut
Flintoff made his Test debut at Trent Bridge in 1998 against South Africa. In the match, he only managed to take one wicket and score 17 runs. The game was won by England by 8 wickets.
He made his One-Day International debut against Pakistan in Sharjah a year back. Flintoff made a valiant half-century in a high-pressure situation, but it was not enough to save England from defeat. After being dropped after his debut series, he had to wait for the team’s return to South Africa in late 1999 to be re-instated.
Rise To Glory
Flintoff’s form was on display during the 2003 New Zealand tour. He hit his first Test century and maintained his fine form against South Africa, scoring 423 runs at an extraordinary pace.
Despite the lack of wickets, Flintoff had remained an important part of the bowling attack. His first five-wicket haul came during England’s 2004 tour of the West Indies, when he took 5/58 at Bridgetown to help the team to victory.
In 2004, England whitewashed both New Zealand and the West Indies, scoring 603 runs and taking 24 wickets.
Captaincy
In early 2006, Flintoff was appointed England captain for a tour of India, and he was praised for his on-field strategy as England managed a 1-1 draw. His popularity, however, was fleeting. He captained England during the 2006-07 Ashes tours of Australia, which resulted with a 5-0 defeat for England.
Club Career
He was still a favourite of selectors in different leagues around the world due to his all-around skills. He was a member of the Chennai Super Kings of the Indian Premier League and other Big Bash League and English County squads.
Achievements
Flintoff is England’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in one-day international cricket (168 wickets) and 14th-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket (219 wickets).
Flintoff owns the record for scoring the most sixes by an English player. Flintoff is just the seventh player to bat in a Test match for all five days.
Retirement
Flintoff decided to retire from cricket in 2009 due to a string of injuries and scandals.
He last played a Test against Australia in August 2009, as well as an ODI against the West Indies in which he took five wickets and England won by 25 runs.