The Australian captain has questioned the timing of Andrew Flintoff’s retirement announcement. And he should know.
flintoff ponting
Ricky Ponting found it strange that Flintoff should have been making such an announcement just ahead of the second of the back to back Tests of the Ashes 2009 series. England got out of jail in the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Flintoff suffered an injury breakdown forcing him to announce his retirement from Tests at the end of the Ashes series. Flintoff did make it to the England line up at Lord’s for the second Test, but Ponting had his own reservations.
Ponting spoke about what kind of situation England would have been left facing had Flintoff missed the second Test and his replacement had done a better job, would England still pick Flintoff on emotional grounds?
Ponting also touched upon the fact that the dressing room would be a pretty difficult atmosphere emotionally given that the England team would be missing on of their key players. Ponting spoke of the time when the then Australian captain, Steve Waugh, called his retirement in the series against India.
Ponting believes that the “circus” could distract the England team, though it could play into Australia’s hands. Ponting should know. Ponting even offered Matthew Hayden to captain one of the Twenty20 matches against South Africa after learning upon Hayden’s decision to retire before being left out.
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