I READ an article last week suggesting that if England are to win back the Ashes this summer they will only do it with Andrew Flintoff in the side.
To be honest I was beginning to doubt the validity of that argument having seen Flintoff bat three times recently and amass just three runs in the space of five balls.
Certainly he is not worth his place in any side the way he is batting at present.
Then I saw him bowl – like the wind.
He blew away the West Indies with a hat trick and five wickets that could have been six, seven or eight, in an inspired spell that made me wonder why I’d ever questioned his inclusion in the first place.
You can dislike his posturing, argue that he can be a disruptive influence in the dressing room, and worry about his batting and behaviour, but you can’t dispute he is our best fast bowler by a mile.
So long as Freddie stays fit we have a chance of winning back the Ashes –- and (who knows?) he might even remember which end of the bat to hold when he takes on Brett Lee again.
