Andrew Flintoff Drowns His Sorrows
“OWZPRAT!” says the Mirror as English cricket’s star player Andrew Flintoff perches on a bar stool.
England all-rounder Freddie is as versatile off the pitch as he is on it, taking on beer and Jaegermeister (35 per cent-strength notes the Mail) at the Piano bar in Barbados. England are out of the World Cup and Freddie has time on his hands.
“They were certainly the only shots Flintoff has got to grips with during the tournament – having failed dismally with the bat,” says the Mirror.
This is all too true. But to single Freddie out for criticism seems unfair given that English team spirit extended to the full XI agreeing to be as crap as one another and so diffuse blame.
But still the Mirror zooms in on Flintoff’s drinking session. The paper reminds us that in his early days at Lancashire his teammates used to call a drinking binge “Getting Freddied”.
And can we ever forget the story of how in preparation for England’s match against Canada, Flintoff commandeered a pedalo and set off to conquer South America.
As the Mail notes, after that not-in-the-least-bit-hilarious incident – a contrite and possibly hung-over Flintoff told us: “I’m ashamed and embarrassed. I’ve got to show this is the end of these sorts of incidents. I know it will take time to regain people’s trust.”
Says the Mail: “On this evidence, he may well be right.”
Posted: 24th, April 2007 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
