Its a lazy, sunny Saturday afternoon. Went swimming with the kids in the morning, had upma for lunch. The rest of the family are settling into siestas. I am settling down in front of the telly, to watch Freddy Flintoff come out to bat in his last test innings, and reflecting that Flintoff is cricket's McEnroe.
Both Flintoff and McEnroe were unbelieveably gifted. They've treated us fans to some sheer magic: the Ashes in 2005, the Wimbledon finals in 1980 and 1981. Yet, especially when compared with their natural talent, both are underachievers.
Michael Atherton talks here about Flintoff's disappointing career stats. Flintoff averages 32.06 with the bat and 32.59 with the ball. The decimals show that his batting average is slightly lower than his bowling. To put that in perspective, Imran Khan averaged 37 with the bat and 22 with the ball. Botham averaged 33/28. Among Flintoff's contemporaries, Shaun Pollock comes in at 32/23. Flintoff's bowling average is about the same as Kallis; however, Kallis averages more than 50 with the bat.
Given how good Flintoff can be, especially with the ball, his returns are surprisingly meagre. Like McEnroe's seven grand slam titles.
Yet, the Flintoff we want to remember is not the Flintoff we see in the statistics, but the Flintoff who beat South Africa in 2003, who bowled this over at Edgbaston in 2005. Like the McEnroe in the mind is the one who beat Bjorn Borg in 1981.
So long, Freddy. Thanks for all the fun.
4 comments:
Prithvi - there is something irresistible about the mercurial greats like Freddy and McEnroe. They were never meant to have the consistency of a Kapil or Borg but there is a certain genius that we are all drawn to. The fact that they were bad boys adds to the charm and affection...adios freddy
I think the inconsistency adds to the enigma. You just don't know how they will perform - that keeps you on the edge of your seat when they are out there.
Well - He's done it again with a sharp run out of Ponting. Could not have come at a better time!!!
Í'm glad he got to win back the Ashes and go out on a high.
Post a Comment