By John Mehaffey
LONDON, July 15 - Throughout the course of the
glorious summer of 2005 Andrew Flintoff combined abundant
talent, a strapping physique and whole-hearted exuberance to
become the all-rounder England had craved for so long.
Flintoff dominated the Ashes series to such an extent that
even the incomparable Shane Warne at his transcendent best could
not prevent England reclaiming the Ashes after 16 bleak years.
Four years later after four ankle operations and a variety
of shoulder, hip and knee injuries Flintoff has bowed to the
inevitable and announced his retirement from test cricket after
the current Ashes series to concentrate on the one-day game.
Charging in with new or old ball, Flintoff was invariably
hostile in 2005 and consistently confounded the Australian
batsmen with late reverse swing.
To add to his 27 wickets, Flintoff batted with maturity and
authority to score 402 runs at an average of 40.20. For that
series, at least, he was a member of that exalted company of
all-rounders who could command a test place as either batsman or
bowler.
Success, though, came at a high price. Flintoff, overweight
and under-motivated at the start of his test career, had trained
himself to a peak and developed into a fine professional
athlete.
But the frightening pace he generated, depending on strenuous
physical endeavour rather than rhythm, took a literally
crippling toll.
Flintoff, 31, came of age in the English summer of 2003,
when, by coincidence, Michael Vaughan took over as England
captain.
The cerebral Vaughan and the physical Flintoff formed a
combination as potent as Mike Brearley and Ian Botham a
generation earlier as England assembled a team fit to challenge
the Australians.
SWIFT DECLINE
In 2005, Flintoff inspired the two-run win at Edgbaston
which levelled the series. He scored a maiden test century at
Trent Bridge and a marathon spell in the final test at the Oval
gathered him five wickets and seized control of a game heading
in Australia's direction.
Flintoff and his team mates then embarked on the party to
end all parties, culminating in a open-top bus parade through
London.
He had become an English folk hero and fully justified
comparisons with Botham, Imran Khan and Keith Miller, but the
fall from such heady heights was swift.
Flintoff took over from the injured Vaughan as England
captain in India and performed heroically as leader and player
in a series-levelling win in Mumbai.
But he over-bowled himself trying for a win over Sri Lanka
at Lord's and was out of action for four months.
He returned to captain England in Australia ahead of Andrew
Strauss who had won a series against Pakistan in the meantime.
Australia won 5-0 and Flintoff was disciplined for excessive
drinking. On Vaughan's return he lost his spot as England
vice-captain at the Caribbean World Cup after another drunken
episode.
Flintoff, when fit, was still England's most consistent
bowler but his batting fell away badly and the injury breaks
become longer.
He pulled out of the Indian Premier League this year to have
an operation on his right knee and missed a two-test series
against West Indies and the Twenty20 World Cup.
A fierce six-over spell in the drawn first test in Cardiff
last week briefly rocked the Australians but the injured knee
troubled him again and on Wednesday Flintoff acknowledged that
his test career had reached its final stages.
Flintoff averages 31.69 with the bat and has captured 219
wickets at 32.51, figures of a decent but not great test
cricketer. Since 2005 he has not scored a test century or taken
five wickets in a test innings.
But those privileged to see him at his best in 2004 and in
the unforgettable 2005 Ashes series will cherish memories of a
mighty all-rounder who hit the ball vast distances, bowled at
top speed and always provided great entertainment for his
enthusiastic fanbase.
(Editing by Nigel Hunt; to query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)