My News

05.06.07

The Times - England must learn to trust captain and he can trust inspirational Freddie

Published by Shane Warne

There is no doubt that Freddie Flintoff will return to the England side. I don’t know when it will be, but I can predict this: he will bowl thunderbolts, he will smash the ball around the park and he will hold blinding catches. He will show anybody who doubts it that he is the best all-rounder in the world.

He should try to see these few weeks as an opportunity to rest. England do not need him for the West Indies series, but they will need him in the future. For the sake of a few more days’ recovery, he must make sure he comes back fresher than ever. When he thinks he is ready, he should wait another fortnight.

Players always have concerns after an operation. I’ve had surgery on my finger and shoulder and even though I got the best treatment available, there were little doubts deep down. That is human nature. But guys like Brett Lee have had similar injuries to Freddie and been fine afterwards.

Again, it comes back to the schedule. I can’t think of a single player who will disagree when I say that too much international cricket is being played. We cannot all be wrong, surely. Even those arranging the games understand that there is an impact on fitness.

Freddie played as much as anybody last winter. I saw that Michael Vaughan said the “Fredalo” business affected morale at the World Cup, but I know that Fred can be inspirational. England should bat him at No 7 and give him three five-over spells a day. Even if he was going really well, I’d say: “Sorry, mate, you’re off.”

Vaughan is strong enough to be able to do that. He is easily the best Test captain in England and people need to learn to trust him. His hundred at Headingley showed that he knows his mind and body better than those who questioned whether he was ready to play.

If you have the right attitude and you are a good player -no Australian doubts Vaughan there -you do not need to go through lots of championship matches to prove it again. With the hundred last week and questions answered, he will go from strength to strength.

Selectors get bagged when they make mistakes, so they deserve a “well done” when they pick someone who comes in and stars. Ryan Sidebottom wasn’t on my list, but fair play. After he was dropped six years ago, he made himself the best player he could be. There’s a lesson there. You don’t have to be out-and-out fast to be successful.

Glenn McGrath is a perfect example of someone who put the ball in the right spot often enough -and did a little bit with it -to cause problems. I just hope the selectors realise that Dimi Mascarenhas can do that kind of job in the one-day side and bat as well.

I felt embarrassed for West Indies watching them at Headingley. There is no pleasure seeing them play like a club side. I know they’ve had injuries, but they need to act to get their cricket back on track. Hopefully they can use their World Cup money to put development programmes in place. The game needs a successful West Indies team. The Caribbean is a fantastic place to play and watch cricket. We need their flair, their fun, their vibrant approach and their attitude. 

Archives

Related Blogs