Yesterday I had ended my post with the question of uncertainty over Michael Vaughan’s possibility for the game against Australia, this issue couldn’t end at a worse note than this for the English - The skipper has been ruled out of the Friday’s game at Brisbane owing to a torn left hamstring.
Andrew Flintoff had looked a relieved man post captaincy, but with this blow Fletcher and the management were in a dilemma of which way to grant the leadership, does it go back to Freddy or to the opener Strauss?
The decision seems to be hasty but correct - Freddy had led the side in the Ashes and to a large extent had done justice to the task, but the toll of it all does show on the All-rounder and his natural game goes into a shell, but with the experience of leading the team in the given conditions and the benefit of doing the same in the shorter version game, will be an added advantage for both Freddy and the team.
With his blistering knock against the Black Caps Flintoff has sound his comeback to form, but will this added responsibility be a bane for him? If England is to make it to the finals of the Commonwealth Bank Series then he is surely the man to lead them there and for it his being in good knick is very important.
Essex man Ravi Bopara has been named as the replacement for Vaughan and is likely to open the innings, While Mal Loye has been introduced into the squad as a cover.
Read: BBC
