Six and Out - Some Serious Cricket

Idiots.

by SixandOut on March 18th, 2007

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Being an England cricket fan can be very hard work sometimes. Armies of faithful English fans mortgaged their kidneys and their grannies to get out to Australia for the Ashes. Others changed their sleep patterns and abandoned their kids and jobs so that they could be awake at all hours to follow the cricket on the TV or the radio. We sat, we watched, we listened, we gasped, we (occasionally) cheered and we cried. A lot. Thousands of people rearranged their lives to show their support and how were we rewarded? A five-nil whitewash and reports of the England men barely even being there. Sure we all revelled in England’s Ashes success of 2005, but that was one success in a catalogued history of failure. We couldn’t really explain it, I mean, we knew that the England team were good enough to beat Australia, we knew they all wanted to win, hell, we were told, repeatedly, that the boys were going to get better and they were sure as shit aware that there were a lot of people watching and they wanted to make it count. I think we even believed them. And clinching the Commonwealth Bank Trophy even went a little way to us forgiving them for such a pitiful display down under. It doesn’t matter how much stick and abuse we got from our antipodean colleagues, we still loved our men and we still held some belief that they could go to the West Indies and prove to the world that they didn’t actually represent the country that invented a game but at which they are totally rubbish. No, we had faith. Even losing the opening game of the World Cup to New Zealand was OK. Sure, winning it would have put us in a better position for the Super Eight, and sure, we should have won it considering how we beat the New Zealanders down under in the CB trophy. But it was OK, that we lost, because these are only the group stages. We’re all expecting to get through to the Super Eights so it’s no big deal.

Of course, when I say “we”, I’m referring to everyone interested in England’s success MINUS the 11-or-so men who are actually out there representing us. The team. They should not expect anything. They should prepare for each and every game in the same manner and it doesn’t matter against whom you are playing. Australia or Canada, this is International cricket and you don’t take it for granted. The problem is, however, that I’m sat here writing this watching England play Canada in their second group match. The side is without former captain and England stalwart Andrew Flintoff. And for once, it’s not due to injury. He was dropped. Dropped. The man who recently captained England in the Ashes tour. And why? For outrageous and irresponsible behaviour. After the New Zealand game on Friday, a few of the boys went out to let off a little tension. I can make my peace with that, everyone needs to relax. Unfortunately, however, Flintoff’s way of relieving stress is to get pissed up out of his tree and steal a pedalo at 4am in the morning. And fall off it, requiring rescuing. He wasn’t alone - Ian Bell was there, and a few others, but it seems they’ve singled Flintoff out for the “making an example” treatment.

And I’m happy with it. In fact I applaud Fletcher for finally growing a pair and doing what was required. Andrew Flintoff has made a mockery of what they’re out there to do. A mockery of English supporters. A mockery of poor mugs like here who sit here day in day out, willing the boys to do well. How can we be sure that they’re trying their hardest when they’re probably going on to the cricket field with a hangover? I’ve done it, and believe me, you don’t play good cricket. Hell, this pot-kettle-black-stuff right here, because I’ve had 4am drunken errors before. But I don’t play cricket for England. These men (apparently) are out there to do a job. They are being paid to go the Caribbean, to play cricket, and to win the World Cup for England. The trophy that says “we are the best”, a piece of cricketing regalia that could be used to rub everyone elses noses in it and say “yeh, we’re better than you”. The other such trophy is, of course, the Ashes, but we all know what happened when we tried to secure our grip on that.

We were told, after the Ashes, that the England camp were sorry for what happened in Australia and that they could make things right in the Caribbean. Instead I’m sat here reading about fines against our men and the fact that Flintoff has been “sacked” as England vice-captain. We know that Flintoff has always been “one of the lads”, the big hearted joker, who likes a drink, but plays his cricket hard. Hell, that’s why we love him so much. But this latest escapade shows a serious lack of judgement on his behalf and he ought to be ashamed of himself. Not only has he let himself and the fans down, but he has directly impinged on England’s chances in this World Cup. There’s no doubt that his batting won’t be missed against Canada, but his bowling will be. Ravi Bopara will get his chance in the side, but surely he would not have wished it to come in such circumstances.

England, even without Flintoff, should win against Canada today, and of course I want them to win. I don’t want this to be yet another “wake up call that they sorely need” because they’ve had plenty and I’m fed of hearing and/or saying the expression. But were we to lose, I think it would be fair to place a large amount of blame on the one man who is supposably the pinnacle of English cricket.

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