The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A challenging environment for us: Flintoff

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

A challenging environment for us: Flintoff

David Hopps

Hugh Morris talks of contributing to the ‘healing process’

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

FULL PROTECTION: Many a senior England player, including Andrew Flintoff, have mused that the heavy security could create an alien environment in which to play the match.

Andrew Flintoff has revealed the reasons behind England’s collective decision to fly back to India for their terror-hit Test series, chief among them being the desire not to split the squad.

Flintoff was among the waverers who had reservations about returning to India in the wake of the attacks that left more than 200 people dead in Mumbai but had quietly let it be known before leaving Abu Dhabi that England’s team spirit had persua ded him to make the trip.

Not many teams that had been trounced as severely as England were by India in the first five ODIs could claim such unity, but it has been noticeable how England’s positive spirit never weakened.

“We didn’t want to get into a position where the team was split up,” Flintoff said. “One of the reasons I decided to go was for my team-mates. Throughout the one-day series in India, although we lost, the spirit in the camp was really good and that is something we didn’t want to lose.”

Overpowering security

Doubts among some senior players, Flintoff among them, about fulfilling the tour rested not only on concerns about safety, but also upon a fear that security would be so overpowering that it would create an alien environment in which to play Test cricket.

“The environment which we are going to be playing in will be extremely different, particularly with all these commandos and armed guards looking after us,” said Flintoff. “That is going to be a challenge for us in a way."

England’s managing director, Hugh Morris, extolled their opportunity not just to fulfil a fraught series but to make a modest contribution to the “healing process” in the wake of the Mumbai atrocities.

Morris is not alone in hoping that this breadth of vision, rare in the ultra-focused world of international sport, can inspire England to rise above the claustrophobic, if understandable, levels of security that will follow their every move during the next fortnight in Test matches. The free spirit that England have found under Pietersen’s captaincy might enable them to do just that.

“Every meeting I’ve attended over the last week has been about safety and security, but it was evident when I visited Chennai that the people and the media were all really hoping England came back,” Morris said.

Healing process

“The sense that I got was that they thought it was part of the healing process for India. We all know how passionate Indian people are for cricket and we think we can make a contribution to that.

“I’m really pleased the players made a very brave and courageous decision. There are very few opportunities you get in their position to make a statement beyond the sports field. By a tragic set of circumstances these England players have been given an opportunity to help the healing process . . . there are very few opportunities to actually make a statement beyond the sports field.”

They will enter the series with no warm-up games, but for that matter so will India, and the romantic notion is that the symbolism of the event will create two matches to remember.

“There is a great amount of pride in being selected for your national team and wearing your national colours and whatever circumstances you’re in, that will always be evident,” Morris said. “But this will be a particularly poignant series. It does spread beyond the bounds of cricket.” — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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

Sport