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Flintoff forced to call time on career
Source: Agencies |
September 17, 2010, Friday
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FORMER England captain Andrew Flintoff retired from all forms of cricket with immediate effect yesterday, admitting defeat after a long battle against a serious knee injury.
The 32-year-old Lancashire allrounder, who played 79 tests for England, made his decision to quit the sport after speaking to medical advisers on Wednesday.
"Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigors of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire," Flintoff said in a statement. His last match was a test against Australia at The Oval in August 2009, when England won to regain the Ashes.
Immediately after that match, Flintoff, who was prone to injuries owing to his heavy frame and the effort he put into his bowling action, underwent micro-fracture surgery on his right knee and hoped to return for the start of this season.
He had a second operation after suffering a setback in his recovery earlier this year.
"I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback," Flintoff said.
Universally known as "Freddie," the popular Flintoff became a national icon by playing a leading role in England winning back the Ashes in 2005, under the captaincy of Michael Vaughan. He scored 402 runs and took 24 wickets in the five-match series.
"2005 was his zenith," England captain Andrew Strauss said. "But he was always the ultimate impact cricketer, somebody who on so many occasions stepped up to the plate.
"Because of the way he bowled, and what he put into it, it was probably not as easy for him to get seven-fors and eight-fors. But if you talked to other players around the world, they would always say Andrew was one of the bowlers they least wanted to face - because he could be so hostile."
Overall, he had 226 wickets at 32.78 and hit 3,845 runs with an average of 31.77 in an 11-year test career. He notched five centuries - his highest being 167 versus West Indies at Edgbaston in 2004 - and took three five-wicket hauls, two of them coming against Australia.
In 141 one-day internationals, he scored 3,394 runs, three centuries, and took 169 wickets.
"I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take," added Flintoff, who has been working in television over the past year. Flintoff announced in July last year that he would be retiring from test cricket.
The 32-year-old Lancashire allrounder, who played 79 tests for England, made his decision to quit the sport after speaking to medical advisers on Wednesday.
"Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigors of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire," Flintoff said in a statement. His last match was a test against Australia at The Oval in August 2009, when England won to regain the Ashes.
Immediately after that match, Flintoff, who was prone to injuries owing to his heavy frame and the effort he put into his bowling action, underwent micro-fracture surgery on his right knee and hoped to return for the start of this season.
He had a second operation after suffering a setback in his recovery earlier this year.
"I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback," Flintoff said.
Universally known as "Freddie," the popular Flintoff became a national icon by playing a leading role in England winning back the Ashes in 2005, under the captaincy of Michael Vaughan. He scored 402 runs and took 24 wickets in the five-match series.
"2005 was his zenith," England captain Andrew Strauss said. "But he was always the ultimate impact cricketer, somebody who on so many occasions stepped up to the plate.
"Because of the way he bowled, and what he put into it, it was probably not as easy for him to get seven-fors and eight-fors. But if you talked to other players around the world, they would always say Andrew was one of the bowlers they least wanted to face - because he could be so hostile."
Overall, he had 226 wickets at 32.78 and hit 3,845 runs with an average of 31.77 in an 11-year test career. He notched five centuries - his highest being 167 versus West Indies at Edgbaston in 2004 - and took three five-wicket hauls, two of them coming against Australia.
In 141 one-day internationals, he scored 3,394 runs, three centuries, and took 169 wickets.
"I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take," added Flintoff, who has been working in television over the past year. Flintoff announced in July last year that he would be retiring from test cricket.
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