Freddie Flintoff’s Package Tour Cruise – Cricket World Cup
CRICKET’S World Cup is underway in the Caribbean and fans have been following the sunny and palm tree-shaded action.
For those of you without Sky TV, the illusion of looking at the action live can be maintained by banging a metal spoon on an upturned saucepan while looking at TV advertorials for tropical holidays.
But there is trouble in paradise. We talk not of England’s play – that was always going to be a side issue to the staple shots of women in bikini tops and conch shells – but of off-field antics.
“He’s full of shame. He said he can’t believe he’s done it,” says the New of The World’s source.
“He was out first ball in the game against New Zealand and has said he should have been focused on the next game. The team need to let their hair down once in a while but this was going too far.”
And England’s Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff would have gone further had the pedalo he’d commandeered at 4am, and after an 8-hour drinking session, not capsized.
Having consumed quantities of local tinctures and brews at Rumours club in St Lucia’s Rodney Bay – “Freddie was drinking beer as if it was going out of fashion” says a source – England’s all-rounder set out on the ocean wave.
“Freddie could have drowned out there,” says a source “close to Flintoff”. “It’s rough in that sea at night and it’s not particularly helpful if you’ve had plenty to drink.”
Readers learn: “He was out first ball in the game against New Zealand and has said he should have been focused on the next game. The team need to let their hair down once in a while but this was going too far.”
But let’s not be too hard on the lads. England’s players have days of spare time on their hands, often during Test matches as the match reaches a premature conclusion (see last Ashes series, a trigger for more England drinking).
As the NOTW reminds us, after England’s Ashes victory against Australia in 2005 Freddie and the team went on a “marathon drinking session and turned up drunk for their official reception at Downing Street the following day”. There was talk at the time of urinating in prime ministerial flowerbeds. When asked what he’d eaten, a red-eyed Freddie replied “a cigar”.
The hope is that England can return to those halcyon days. And on a fortnight’s package tour to the Caribbean, there is every chance they can…
Flintoff and Ian Bell were fined. Teammates Liam Plunkett, James Anderson and Jon Lewis were docked part of their match fee.
Posted: 18th, March 2007 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
