Is Flintoff number 1?

[PY]

Warne
45 7 150 1 3.33 3rd Test v Ind in Aus 1991/92 at Sydney
22 2 107 0 4.86 1st Test v SL in SL 1992 at Colombo (SSC)

Well done, you've included two Tests that happened over 10 years ago.

I'm under the impression that Warne might have improved since then.

Flintoff is probably the most exciting cricketer on show at the moment in the world. To steal a phrase, 'he puts fans in the stands'. Do you doubters not flick onto the cricket if Flintoff comes into bat? I don't dare miss a ball when he's batting. And I enjoy it when he is bowling as well. Anyone see the other day, at Twenty20 final after Lancs went out, when he came out from the pavilion after the crowd spotted him and started chanting. He came out and whacked a pint down then went back inside. Legend.

I'd have thought some people might be able to admit that an Englishman is actually doing well, I appreciate when other nationalities do well against poorer opposition because they still have to perform.

 

[Hit4Six]

you see...Sri Lanka are giving SA a bit of a pasting at the moment, so no doubt everyone will say SA are also on the slide....so if Englanddo do well in SA, everyone will say, it was easy for England etc.....this is what does my head in

arent england playing SA in SA? just because SA lose to SL at home it doesnt mean theyre on the slide though lots of people may/will say this, but beating a team which is considered no.2 in the world at home on their own soil would pose more of a challenge than an injured NZ at home or a weak west indian side in the carribean. if england do beat SA in SA then by all means all the props in the world to them.

 

[Swervy]

arent england playing SA in SA? just because SA lose to SL at home it doesnt mean theyre on the slide though lots of people may/will say this, but beating a team which is considered no.2 in the world at home on their own soil would pose more of a challenge than an injured NZ at home or a weak west indian side in the carribean. if england do beat SA in SA then by all means all the props in the world to them.

yes but my point is that alot of people have a problem with England doing well and will find any reason to say that Engalnd arent as good as the results show, just because either they dont like England or they cant get their heads around the fact that England are a good team.

Credit where credits due as far as I am concerned..and England deserve the credit...I know England arent yet in the same league as Australia, but the fact of the matter is that England have probably been the most successful team in the world in test cricket in the last 18 months, results wise

yes Englands real test is SA in SA, but I dont think England have anything to fear,and thats not coz SA are getting worse, thats coz England are getting better.

If England improve at the rate they have been doing, by the time the Ashes next come around, they are going to be able to give Australia a real scare, they arent at that level YET but could be......and I am sorry to all those people who cant accept that, but that is the reality i think

 

[Hit4Six]

agreed bout the point about england getting better not SA getting worse

 

[marc71178]

Kallis may not be doing quite as well with the ball, but overall hes done better then Andy.

Funny how Ponting recently said things along the lines of how he'd love to have him in his team.

Don't remember him saying that about Kallis.

 

[marc71178]

IMO kallis in his prime is just as good bowling wise as Flintoff in his prime.

But how long ago was his bowling prime though?

A long time.

 

[marc71178]

What Vaughan really said was, he agreed that "Flintoff is the best cricketer at the minute"

The key word here is "agreed".

Adam Hollioake said that, and Vaughan was questioned about it, and agreed that he's up there.

But of course, starting a thread saying Hollioake said this wouldn't get as many views and replies would it...

That is a very valid statement if you look at Flintoffs performance in the last handful of test matches. And it was very poetic that he should pick up Lara for a duck so soon after Vaughan made this observation.

He bowled superbly for that one 2 or 3 over spell - deserved both wickets he picked up for some sustained quality.

Actually touched 92 mph on occasion.

 

[marc71178]

Of course he isn't. Flintoff was close to being dropped after the Sri Lanka series

Which SL series?

Certainly not the one last December.

 

[marc71178]

i didnt realise being world no 1 is that easy.

You average 55 with the bat and 25 with the Ball in Tests then?

 

[marc71178]

Sehwag
Richardson
Dravid
Tendulkar
Laxman
Ganguly
McCullum
Oram
Kumble
Pathan
Harbhajan

I'd take Fleming over Ganguly, and certainly Bond would be in for me.

Also Tuffey isn't a bad bowler - would question the inclusion of an as-yet pretty unsuccessful seamer over him.

 

[marc71178]

It just appears to me that when ever England do well against someone, then that team are always dissed as being poor...anyone actually think it could be that England are playing good cricket.

Agreed.

I seem to remember that before the series in the West Indies, the common feeling was that the 2 sides were very close.

Similarly before the New Zealand series...

 

[a massive zebra]

I'd take Fleming over Ganguly, and certainly Bond would be in for me.

Also Tuffey isn't a bad bowler - would question the inclusion of an as-yet pretty unsuccessful seamer over him.

Obviously Bond should be above Pathan if he is eligible, but Bond has not played in ages and I take the view that he is not really part of the New Zealand side anymore - sadly his career is pretty much over.

Pathan has far more potential than Tuffey.

 

[marc71178]

To an extent one could argue the same about Harbhajan then...

 

[Macka]

Richardson is great, he has done some crazy stuff on the field before.

 

[tooextracool]

it was TEC's personal opinion that Flintoff should be dropped if he continued getting out at silly times....but earlier in this thread someone said Flintoff was close to being dropped..well TEC isnt a selector and so had no say in the matter...Flintoff was never going to be dropped by the England selectors, but it doesnt stop Joe Public thinking he should have been dropped does it.

edit: and TEC might not have actually even said he though Flintoff should be dropped,I am trusting you on that one!!!!

spot on....i only suggested that if he continued to play in the immature way he had been in the first 2 tests that he should be considered being dropped

 

[tooextracool]

aus missed macgrath for that matter india missed srinath due to retierment and zaheer they could be atleast 3/4 of macgrath

and ya india really missed shane warne

how many times must it be said....australia also missed lehmann their best player of spin and they had a half fit gillespie.

 

[tooextracool]

can you explain this then:

Warne
45 7 150 1 3.33 3rd Test v Ind in Aus 1991/92 at Sydney
22 2 107 0 4.86 1st Test v SL in SL 1992 at Colombo (SSC)
30 7 122 1 4.07 1st Test v Ind in Ind 1997/98 at Chennai
42 4 147 0 3.50 2nd Test v Ind in Ind 1997/98 at Kolkata
15.5 2 70 1 4.42 3rd Test v WI in WI 1998/99 at Bridgetown
13 1 60 0 4.62 3rd Test v Ind in Aus 1999/00 at Sydney
34 3 152 1 4.47 2nd Test v Ind in Ind 2000/01 at Kolkata
30 6 108 2 3.60 3rd Test v SA in SA 2001/02 at Durban

and just yesterday 22 1 87 0 County Championship vs Glamorgan at Rose Bowl

and also explain why MacGill did better than Warne normally does against India?

what is the point of filtering out all the times he actually came out with a good economy and looking at the times he hasnt done well?
and even after doing that you could only come up with 8 results 2 of which happened more than a decade ago.

 

[Richard]

eliminating performances against zimbabwe and bangladesh over the last 3 years

In spite of the fact that it's totally ridiculous to eliminate Zimbabwe games before WC2003?

 

[Langeveldt]

Well nothing like hyping up a really good cricketer as long as it's for the really short term!!

"Well at this point in time, Jacques is asleep in bed, so he isn't playing very good cricket! Well done freddie! You are currently the worlds best cricketer!"

Seriously, its like there is one big conspiracy against JHK, Sometimes I don't think people realize he exists... Although Flintoff is in much better current form I guess...

 

[Swervy]

Well nothing like hyping up a really good cricketer as long as it's for the really short term!!

"Well at this point in time, Jacques is asleep in bed, so he isn't playing very good cricket! Well done freddie! You are currently the worlds best cricketer!"

Seriously, its like there is one big conspiracy against JHK, Sometimes I don't think people realize he exists... Although Flintoff is in much better current form I guess...

and that is all anyone is saying