The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Hayden backs Flintoff

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 01, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Hayden backs Flintoff

BRISBANE: England cricket captain Andy Flintoff still has ``presence'' in spite of the desperately poor form of his team in Australia this summer, Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden said on Wednesday.

Hayden said England's failures had not detracted from the aura of Flintoff, who averaged 30 and took 11 wickets in the five-Test Ashes series, won 5-0 by Australia. Flintoff is averaging 46 in the current limited-overs tri-series.

Incredible presence

``If there's one thing I've noticed is the incredible presence which still remains with Andrew Flintoff,'' Hayden said. ``He's fronted our press, he's fronted their press. He's a bloody remarkable character in my opinion.

``He's been doing it tough all summer but he's still out there trying his absolute guts out,'' he added. ``He's got a team he believes in and a team he believes can do the job who are just not quite reaching those expectations at the moment, but there's plenty of cricket left.'' ' — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport