England expects with return of Freddie the star

Andrew Flintoff will almost certainly make his return to test cricket this week in one of the most eagerly awaited comebacks in years.

The burly Lancastrian has been missing from the test side for 18 months but has still managed to dominate headlines with his absence.

The return of ‘Freddie’ is being hailed as a new dawn for English cricket, as they look to put aside years of inconsistency and built towards next summer’s Ashes.

Flintoff will be tasked with instilling the spirit of 2005 back into the side as they seek to repeat the heroics performed when the Aussies last visited our shores.

No pressure then, Fred.

Freddie’s injury plagued years evoke memories of Jonny Wilkinson’s cursed spell during England rugby’s post World Cup 2003 decline.

There was a tendency to think ‘everything will be all right when Jonny’s back’ but this was exposed as a smokescreen when their talisman did finally return.

Wilkinson’s character may have been key to England’s unlikely run to the final in the last World Cup, but he has hardly turned the tide and English rugby is still way short of those heady heights of 2003.

If Danny Cipriani regains form and fitness there is also a general consensus that Wilkinson’s days in the team could be numbered.

So are we guilty of the same false hope with Flintoff? Are we wrong to put all our eggs in one Freddie-sized basket?

Only time will tell but all the talk of Flintoff over recent years seems to have drawn attention away from the fact we already have one of the world’s leading players in Kevin Pietersen.

KP displayed his rare talent again at Lord’s but, rather than reflect on this, the tedious ending to the game meant the focus had already switched to Freddie’s return by lunch on the final day.

There is no doubt Flintoff is a truly exceptional player, a potential matchwinniner with both bat and ball.

He is also a very special character – his heartfelt consolation of Brett Lee while his teammates crowed in celebration as England claimed the Edgbaston test in 2005 will always be one of my most enduring sporting memories.

Freddie is a go-to guy, time and time again that summer Vaughan turned to him and Flintoff almost always delivered.

But we must remember Flintoff is also human, before we get too excited it is worth taking a second to recollect the Freddie who skippered England Down
Under in 2006/7 and looked clueless and powerless as his team were whitewashed.

He has also struggled for runs since his return at county level and, while his bowling has by all accounts been fast and fiery, he isn’t exactly tearing through batting line-ups.

Just as important as Flintoff’s individual contributions at Headingly will be how much the ‘Freddie factor’ actually rubs off on his colleagues.

Will the rest of his teammates be inspired by his return to find an extra level?
They need to because one man alone cannot win a test series and England are a long way short of the standard they had reached a year before the 2005 confrontation.

Flintoff himself will also be the first to admit the success of 2005 was not about ‘Freddie the star’, rather it was the ultimate team effort.