Breaking news: Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff likes a drink or three. Also in the news, the Pope is apparently a Catholic and new studies show that bears really do like to cr*p in the woods. Details at 11.

Duncan Fletcher, in a continuation of his career-long speciality of blaming others for his own failure, has come out and dropped the blame for England’s poor showing in Australia and at the World Cup in the lap of poor old Freddie. As is the norm for ex-coaches these days, Fletcher has written a book, doubtless to praise his own abilities and denigrate those on whose shoulders his reputation was built.

Even if we accept that Freddie has a bit of a problem with the tonsil varnish, and frankly it’s difficult to do otherwise, then it still raises more questions about Fletcher’s coaching than anything else. The very first question being why the hell make a guy who’s a bit of a boozer captain of your side?

'Even if we accept that Freddie has a bit of a problem with the tonsil varnish, then it still raises more questions about Fletcher’s coaching than anything else'


No-one doubts Freddie’s natural ability, but the captain needs to be more than just a good player. He needs to be a leader - and not just in the chorus of Chumbawamba’s “tub thumping”. And is it really wise to put more pressure on a guy who is susceptible to drinking?

Of course, it wouldn’t matter how hammered Freddie got, he can’t be blamed for the other idiotic selection decisions that were made. Did Freddie’s drinking make Fletcher overlook Chris Read to keep the dreadful Geraint Jones in the side as wicket-keeper? How many beers did Freddie need to drink to make Fletcher choose the pie-chucker Ashley Giles over Monty Panesar?

In the end, the fact that Fletcher presided over a period where England were perennial under-achievers cannot be overlooked. Yes, England’s Test performances improved, but was it because of or despite his input as coach? His reputation was built almost entirely on the 2005 Ashes victory and all evidence points to that being an aberration and more due to the Aussies performing badly than England’s doing. And let’s not discuss England’s one-day performances.

It must have been one of those weekends, though, as Fletcher wasn’t the only former coach to come out and take a whack at one of his former charges. Australia’s former coach John Buchanan had a crack at Shane Warne, revealing that he got stuck into Warnie after his suspension for drug use on the eve of the 2003 World Cup, accusing the champion spinner of being vain, stupid and self-centred.

As with Fletcher’s revelations about Freddie, none of this would come as a surprise to anyone who had even a passing interest in cricket. Warne’s vanity is legendary and anyone who has heard him speak will know that he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. Nevertheless, like Freddie, Warne was brilliant when it counted (although not so much from Freddie of late) out on the park.

So who really cares about the self-promotional thoughts of a couple of guys struggling to retain their grip on the fading limelight of the international careers? And besides, when we sit back to discuss great games or series, who the hell remembers the coach?

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