Freddie claims he was shot at in Delhi....

[Sanz]

He said he was hit by pellets, not bullets. He's not claiming to be bulletproof.

And do you really think someone as honest and generally decent as Flintoff would be so crass and opportunistic as to lie, and compromise his integrity for the sake of his book sales? I can't name another character in sport I think would be less interested in how many copies of his life story he sold.

Did I stop you from believing Flintoff ?

You believe what you want I will believe what I think is logical. I would rather believe what Chetan Chauhan(Ex India Player and Delhi Criciet Association chief) and Delhi Police have to say about the incident (Which i doubt you tried to read before believing Flintoff).

 

[Scaly piscine]

Absolutely pathetic if that is true, its a shame stuff like this happens.

However, explain to me how this is pro-Asian bias by the ICC if the England board didn't make a big deal out of it?

I swear some of you guys... Jesus its amazing.

How do you know the England board didn't make a deal out of it? Just because they didn't go to the press like a certain muppet who's captain of India doesn't mean they didn't make a big deal of it.

 

[Langeveldt]

I think the English board have copped a lot of flack for their attitudes to touring the subcontinent in the 80's which quite rightly were shocking, im sure the "new and more tolerant ECB" wouldn't have wanted to tarnish their image by pulling out because a player was shot at..

 

[Sanz]

How do you know the England board didn't make a deal out of it? Just because they didn't go to the press like a certain muppet who's captain of India doesn't mean they didn't make a big deal of it.

Talking about Muppets..one just went to press today and went on about how he was hit by a gun some 4 years ago.

 

[Sanz]

I think the English board have copped a lot of flack for their attitudes to touring the subcontinent in the 80's which quite rightly were shocking, im sure the "new and more tolerant ECB" wouldn't have wanted to tarnish their image by pulling out because a player was shot at..

Of Course..their 'tolerant' image would have been tarnished and shattered if they had chosen to report this incident to the Police. So their image or tour is more important than the lives of a cricketer, right ?

 

[Barney Rubble]

Did I stop you from believing Flintoff ?

You believe what you want I will believe what I think is logical. I would rather believe what Chetan Chauhan(Ex India Player and Delhi Criciet Association chief) and Delhi Police have to say about the incident (Which i doubt you tried to read before believing Flintoff).

Actually I did read the denial on Cricinfo by the DCA guy - he said pretty much the same thing you did, along the lines of "he's lying". What a surprise. I just can't see why Flintoff would suddenly make it up - he's got far less to gain from the whole incident than anyone else has to lose. If anything, it's just going to ensure he gets a bad reception in India when England go there.

 

[greg]

Of Course..their 'tolerant' image would have been tarnished and shattered if they had chosen to report this incident to the Police. So their image or tour is more important than the lives of a cricketer, right ?

Seeing as he was actually hit by this gun it is probably reasonable to think that his life wasn't in danger. Presumably it can all be confirmed anyway by looking at the video of the match - the book says that "Nasser got very heated about it, and Phil Neale came out to the middle to discover what was going on". He also mentions reports of "crowd incidents" in the press.

Probably he was hit by something, and looked down to see the pellets, and (unthinkingly since it didn't really hurt him) mentioned it to teammates between overs. "hey i was just hit by some pellets", and didn't really think much more of it.

It was probably a pipe rather than a gun anyway :-)

 

[Jono]

How do you know the England board didn't make a deal out of it? Just because they didn't go to the press like a certain muppet who's captain of India doesn't mean they didn't make a big deal of it.

Because that's what Flintoff said, they told him to downplay the incident, and he said he was disappointed with the way the board handled it didn't he?

 

[Sanz]

Seeing as he was actually hit by this gun it is probably reasonable to think that his life wasn't in danger. Presumably it can all be confirmed anyway by looking at the video of the match - the book says that "Nasser got very heated about it, and Phil Neale came out to the middle to discover what was going on". He also mentions reports of "crowd incidents" in the press.

Oh it is definately reasonable to think that 'his life was not in danger', but is it reasonable to think that such incidents wont happen again ? IMO certainly not. Every time a team tours the sub-continent, a big hue and cry is made over secutiry arrangaments and such an incident happened and no one chose to report it. I really find it hard to believe.

If such an incident happened and that the manager had to come in the middle, some one from the Indian team must have known about it, Game must have been stopped for a while etc, etc ?

I am not saying that such incidents can't happen, but did it happen ? If it did why wait for 4 years to say it ?

 

[greg]

Oh it is definately reasonable to think that 'his life was not in danger', but is it reasonable to think that such incidents wont happen again ? IMO certainly not. Every time a team tours the sub-continent, a big hue and cry is made over secutiry arrangaments and such an incident happened and no one chose to report it. I really find it hard to believe.

If such an incident happened and that the manager had to come in the middle, some one from the Indian team must have known about it, Game must have been stopped for a while etc, etc ?

I am not saying that such incidents can't happen, but did it happen ? If it did why wait for 4 years to say it ?

Quite. So rather than coming out with claim and counterclaim someone should have a look at the video to ascertain the truth.

 

[Sanz]

It was probably a pipe rather than a gun anyway :-)

Incase you did not read, he said he was 'SHOT AT'

 

[greg]

Incase you did not read, he said he was 'SHOT AT'

He said he was hit by something, and he looked down to see some pellets on the ground. He didn't see a gun. I'm led to believe that people can do surprising things with pipes.

 

[Adamc]

Oh it is definately reasonable to think that 'his life was not in danger', but is it reasonable to think that such incidents wont happen again ? IMO certainly not. Every time a team tours the sub-continent, a big hue and cry is made over secutiry arrangaments and such an incident happened and no one chose to report it. I really find it hard to believe.

If such an incident happened and that the manager had to come in the middle, some one from the Indian team must have known about it, Game must have been stopped for a while etc, etc ?

I am not saying that such incidents can't happen, but did it happen ? If it did why wait for 4 years to say it ?

Something happened:

28.4 Collingwood to Kaif, no run, plays a very loose shot outside the
off, beaten
Play has been held up as the crowd has got a bit too excited and
thrown some junk into the ground, apprently Flintoff has been hit
by something.

I highly doubt Flintoff is making it up; he might not have been 'shot' per se (though he probably was) but he was definitely hit by pellets, and this was covered up by management. I imagine the reason why he's decided to come out with this now is mainly because people are willing to listen to what he has to say now. As a player struggling to make his mark (as he was in 2002) he probably thought it against his interests to criticise team management at the time.

 

[greg]

Something happened:

I highly doubt Flintoff is making it up; he might not have been 'shot' per se (though he probably was) but he was definitely hit by pellets, and this was covered up by management. I imagine the reason why he's decided to come out with this now is mainly because people are willing to listen to what he has to say now. As a player struggling to make his mark (as he was in 2002) he probably thought it against his interests to criticise team management at the time.

Well there we are then. Good old cricinfo! (they don't keep the commentary of games any more do they? Shame.)

 

[Sanz]

I just can't see why Flintoff would suddenly make it up - he's got far less to gain from the whole incident than anyone else has to lose. If anything, it's just going to ensure he gets a bad reception in India when England go there.

May be because he wants to repeat the whole crap again 'touring subcontinent isn't safe' or may be he wants to increase the sales of his book, who know why he is coming up with now.

As for the bad reception in India, rest assured, we always try to treat our guests well no matter how much wrong they have done to us in the past.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Because that's what Flintoff said, they told him to downplay the incident, and he said he was disappointed with the way the board handled it didn't he?

They told HIM to downplay the incident. What actually happened between the boards and the ICC only they themselves will know.

 

[Sanz]

Something happened:

I highly doubt Flintoff is making it up; he might not have been 'shot' per se (though he probably was) but he was definitely hit by pellets, and this was covered up by management. I imagine the reason why he's decided to come out with this now is mainly because people are willing to listen to what he has to say now. As a player struggling to make his mark (as he was in 2002) he probably thought it against his interests to criticise team management at the time.

Obviously, being hit by pellets is same as being 'shot at'. Right ?? And now we have the proof as you said "something happened" and it must have been someone firing a shot @ Freddie.

 

[Barney Rubble]

As for the bad reception in India, rest assured, we always try to treat our guests well no matter how much wrong they have done to us in the past.

That'll be why Flintoff says he "expects to be hit by plastic bottles" in India then. They're just gifts, are they? After an allegation like this, with the proof coming from Cricinfo's commentary that at least something did happen, you can hardly call that good treatment - and that was the first time he'd even set foot in India! Thank God he isn't Pakistani, God knows what would have happened to him then.

 

[greg]

Obviously, being hit by pellets is same as being 'shot at'. Right ?? And now we have the proof as you said "something happened" and it must have been someone firing a shot @ Freddie.

You seem very overtly aggressive. Flintoff said that he was hit by some 'pellets'. Presumably you don't dispute him on that, considering the evidence. Presumably the implication is that they were some kind of pellets which would be propelled by some kind of implement, be is a gun or pipe or whatever. If they were then i don't really see the problem with saying that he was 'shot'.

"shot" - The firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a gun

He's not oversensationalising it by suggesting he was in danger or anything. But this sort of thing, just as having bottles thrown at you or whatever, really isn't on.

 

[luckyeddie]

Did I stop you from believing Flintoff ?

You believe what you want I will believe what I think is logical. I would rather believe what Chetan Chauhan(Ex India Player and Delhi Criciet Association chief) and Delhi Police have to say about the incident (Which i doubt you tried to read before believing Flintoff).

I guess like most people their response was a gut reaction to what they had just read, as opposed to a measured response.

You should know about gut reactions - they're all we ever get from you.