'Freddie' Flintoff is perhaps the best-known cricketer in the world, and definitely the most loved in the UK. Widely considered the greatest English all-rounder since Ian Botham, bars at cricket grounds immediately empty the moment he approaches the wicket. It was victory in the 2005 Ashes series that cemented Flintoff's place at the nation's heart, with his stunning performances helping ensure the Ashes were regained for the first time in eighteen years.
Fast bowler, six-hitter, popular hero, one of the lads, king of the jungle - Andrew Flintoff is all of those things. Second Innings, is his searingly honest yet uplifting autobiography, Flintoff reveals unseen, surprising sides to his career and personality. The restless need to push and challenge himself that led him to take up professional boxing. The complex and troubled relationship with discipline, alcohol and authority during his exhilarating cricket career. The search for an authentic voice as a player, free from the blandness and conformity of modern professionalism. Is Flintoff the last of his kind, in any sport? Through all his highs and lows, triumphs and reversals, this book reveals a central tension. There is 'Fred' - performer, extrovert, centre of attention. Then there is 'Andrew' - reflective, withdrawn and uncertain. Two people contained in one extraordinary life. And sometimes, inevitably, keeping the two in balance proves too much. We are taken backstage, seeing the mischief and adventure that has defined Andrew Flintoff's story. Above all, we observe the enduring power of fun, friendship and loyalty - the pillars of Flintoff's career. At ease with his faults as well as his gifts, Andrew Flintoff has sought one thing, even more than success: to be himself. If you enjoyed Do You Know What?, you'll enjoy this memoir of Freddie's sporting career.
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is one of the most exciting cricketers in the world and has improved out of all recognition during the last two years. In 2003, he was England's best player at the World Cup. Then, explosively, he lit up the second half of the summer in 2004, lifting spirits at Lord's with a bat-smashing 142. He walked off with the England man of the series award and averages to flaunt. This book marks his story so far in his own words, taking us up to and including the summer of 2005, during which Flintoff has performed heroics with both bat and ball against Australia. Freddie will highlight the moments and matches in his career that helped him dramatically on his way forward, and reveals what it is like to play for one of the most successful England cricket teams in history.
THE HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM ONE OF BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED NATIONAL TREASURES! This is not a book of life lessons. But Freddie Flintoff has had a moment to reflect and he's noticed that throughout his four decades, although there's been little method in the madness, there has been the occasional common thread. The Book of Fred is filled with anecdotes, observations and the odd opinion all told with Fred's trademark humour and no-nonsense style. Fred's approach to life draws on the sublime (his series winning performance in the 2005 Ashes) and the ridiculous (singing Elvis Presley's 'Suspicious Minds' in front of a live audience), from highs (making the transition to top TV presenter) to occasional lows (accidentally upsetting the lovely Bruce Forsyth), from the profane (discussing Shane Warne's barnet with Hollywood royalty) to the profound (why 'having a go' leads to self-respect). Throughout, Fred shares his code for success, happiness and a life fully lived - and gives his readers a laugh, some joy, and (the occasional) pause for thought along the way.
Takes you on a journey from the Olympic Games in Athens to the World Cup in Germany - via the Ashes series, the Ryder Cup, Wimbledon, and more. This book examines why sport holds us all in such thrall, how it uplifts and crushes us - and can seem to matter more than life itself.
Cricket's greatest legends. Sport's fiercest rivalry. Wisden's fakest diaries. CrickiLeaks charges headlong onto the players' balcony and imagines 40 cricketing diaries of rare wit and invention, along with the illustrated book covers they might have inspired. Featuring spoof journal entries drawn from throughout Ashes history, CrickiLeaks reveals for the first time the innermost thoughts of the greatest cricketers of the last 129 years. And Mitchell Johnson. CrickiLeaks includes imagined diaries from players on the most recent tour (Andrew Strauss, Ricky Ponting), diaries from the all-time greats (Shane Warne, Freddie Flintoff, Sir Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, W.G. Grace), as well as contributions from less obvious personalities. An irreverent and entertaining collection of Ashes diaries, CrickiLeaks finally lays to rest some of cricket's greatest mysteries: - What exactly was going through Gatting's mind as he faced the ball of the century? - Why did Ricky Ponting lose his rag with Ronald McDonald? - What really went on between Douglas Jardine and Daphne the Koala in Adelaide Zoo? A riotous and uniquely scurrilous addition to any cricket-lover's library.
What's the worst that can happen? Are there aliens out there somewhere? What happens when I die? In Do You Know What?, our favourite sportsman-turned-comedian-slash-leftfield-thinker Freddie Flintoff expels an eclectic and entertaining smorgasbord of anecdotes, impressions, reflections, ruminations, musings, cogitations, observations, rants, confessions and pearls of wisdom on all aspects of life's rich tapestry. As a prolific philosopher of life's most unfathomable questions, Freddie uses his own inexplicable experiences - from the sublime: giving up booze, shopping in Poundland with his family, exploring the wonders of the universe with his mates; to the ridiculous: wrestling with WWE's finest, singing in a musical on the West End, pranking teammates - to help us all gain the comfort of his life mantra: What's the worst that can happen? Do You Know What? is an unexpectedly helpful, occasionally silly and absorbing brain dump on life and everything it holds, from one of Britain's most-loved national treasures.
When social distancing is over, can people still keep their distance? I only do the things I like now, rather than the things I should - is that alright? And these days, why has everyone got an opinion on everything and insist on sharing it? Oh. Scratch that one. From one of Britain's most-loved national treasures, comes a much-needed Bible of straight-talking honesty and sharp observational humour: following an unprecedented time of collective global insanity, Freddie is ready to impart his effortless charm, wit and wisdom on a wild array of topics. From the significant: climate change - maybe it's our time to go? To the time-worn: what even is political correctness and has the world really gone mad? To the essential: just what do you get when you receive the coveted Toby Carvery Gold Card? In Right, Said Fred, Freddie takes you on a whirlwind tour of his brain as he ponders more of life's most unfathomable questions.
When hefty Zimbabwean chicken farmer Eddo Brandes kept on playing and missing to an increasingly frustrated Glenn McGrath, the Australian had had enough and decided a bit of verbals were called for: 'Oi, Brandes, why the hell are you so fat?' Quick as a flash, the answer came back: 'Because every time I shag your missus, she gives me a biscuit.' Few games have such a rich history of sledging as cricket, with the Australians famed masters of the art. This collection, featuring contributions from talkSPORT's own Darren Gough and Ronnie Irani as well as many other cricket stars, brings together the best examples from around the world. To be effective, sometimes the sledge can be funny, as when Andrew Flintoff urged Tino Best, who was struggling to lay a bat on the ball, to 'mind the windows' at Lord's. Best immediately charged down the pitch to attack Ashley Giles' next ball and was stumped. But sometimes an element of real menace can do the trick, as when Malcolm Marshall commented to a struggling David Boon: 'Now are you going to get out or am I going to have to bowl round the wicket and kill you?'
It had been 18 years since England had last won the Ashes. Since then, Australia, their fiercest rivals and the world's best test team throughout this time, had prevailed. But this time England were on a roll. They had been unbeaten for two years and had a crop of young, talented players. It was widely expected that the series would be closer and more competitive than usual, but no one could have predicted that it would end so dramatically. At the end of the first test at Lords, English optimism had nosedived. Australia were supposed to be an ageing team, but Glenn McGrath destroyed England's batsmen, except for Kevin Pietersen. Yet in the second test, England took command, batting with carefree abandon, then setting a target that looked beyond Australia's capability when, with just two wickets left, they still needed 120 runs. On the last day, England won by just two runs. During this test match, a new hero was born. Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff scored two fifties and would star again with the ball in the third test at Old Trafford. This time, England needed just one more wicket to win. McGrath and Brett Lee survived the final 24 balls as a watching nation sat gripped. Unperturbed, England made no mistake at Trent Bridge, this time winning in four days, but even here there was more high drama. When Australia were bowled out in their second innings, England needed only 129 runs to win. They got there, but lost seven wickets in doing so. Now it was official. This really was the greatest Ashes series of all time. England went to the Oval knowing that a draw would be enough to take home the Ashes after nine consecutive defeats. The eyes of the sporting world fell on a corner of south-east London to watch the drama unfold. Ashes Fever relives the incredible story of how England brought the best cricket team in the world to their knees during this unforgettable series. It explains the creation of new English sporting heroes and how cricket became the media focal point. Illustrated by 200 photographs, it relates how over three months the England cricket team created history in a manner that is unlikely ever to be repeated.
