Wisden overview
Big, northern and proud of it, Andy Flintoff hits the ball harder than any English cricketer since Ian Botham. (He empties bars almost as quickly.) His more murderous shots include biffing the fast bowler back over his head, and a cover-drive that is as much about brute strength as timing. The bludgeon over long-on isn't too bad either, although his lack of pace between the wickets makes him dangerously over-reliant on boundaries, and his stiff-wristed technique was cruelly exposed by India's spinners in 2001-02. For a time Freddie was destructive and self-destructive in equal measure - the galumphing, muscular nature of his seam bowling led to some well-publicised back problems, and his reluctance to do his loosening Pilates exercises did not help his cause. But his selection for Rod Marsh's ECB Academy seemed to give him the motivation he needed, and when England SOSed for him during the India tour, his bowling had been transformed. Before long he was tearing in with the new ball, touching 90mph on occasions, and he even threw a maiden Test century into the bargain, 137 against New Zealand at Christchurch in March 2002. Unfortunately, it was all too good to be true for England's management. Overjoyed to discover a genuine allrounder in their midsts, they played Freddie into the ground that summer, and by the time they flew out to Australia in October, Flintoff had undergone a hernia operation and could barely walk. He was duly ruled out of the Test series, and though he returned to action in time for the 2003 World Cup, accidents and injury continued to single him out. Lawrence Booth

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