Andrew Flintoff (right) has been a big influence on young players, according to Marcus Trescothick (left). Photo: Shutterstock/Sophia Gardens Andrew Flintoff has «become Freddie again» and has returned to his old self since his England days, said Marcus Trescothick, his teammate during the 2005 Ashes winning run. .
Flintoff returned to public life for the first time since his near-fatal car crash while filming Top Gear last year, when he initially began assisting the team in the one-day international against New Zealand earlier this month. His participation was later extended and he took part in three ODI matches against Ireland.
Trescothick said Flintoff's interactions with the team have become increasingly meaningful and hopes he will be more involved with the team in the future. Since his last cap for England in 2009, Flintoff — apart from a brief return to T20 domestic action in 2014 — has played little sport, concentrating on his media career.
Flintoff takes a sip of champagne to celebrate victory over Pakistan at Lord's in 2007. Photo: Winston Binort
“I think he was a little nervous going on stage. said Trescothick, now England's full-time assistant manager. «He doesn't know a lot of people, so from where he first came in Cardiff to where he is now, he's grown a lot.
«He's back to being the kind of person you'd expect from cricket because that's what I've seen over the years and it's been great, really good. He really enjoyed the opportunity and the team embraced his presence. Hopefully we'll see more of him in the future.»
Trescothick, who played 46 of his Tests alongside Flintoff, also believes the new cricket job is helping his former teammate's recovery.
“He was great. A couple of times he said in the locker room that it was like “wow.” You can see the difference and I saw his development as a character, the way he speaks and conveys messages to players was excellent. The fact that he sprinkled the team with gold dust and made the young players work with it was truly invaluable. It is impossible to put a price on this.
“To see him turn back into Freddie and come back to cricket — obviously he's been away from cricket for a long period of time, but that's where it all starts and where it belongs to him. The guys really liked him.
“You feel more comfortable, don’t you? This is what we know, this is what we have grown up with for so many years. Once you get into your comfortable environment, you know what's going on and you understand the place, people respect what he's done and are happy to see him improve. This is very good from our point of view. If we, as players, teams and cricket as a whole, continue to do the same for people who have fallen on hard times, then it's great that we are doing something right.»
England may well make changes in the final Tuesday's ODI against Ireland at Bristol, with Tom Coler-Cudmore in contention for his debut. Trescothick said the England team's culture and depth of strength help new recruits progress to international level. In Saturday's 48-run win, Will Jacks scored 94 in his third ODI and Sam Hain scored 89.
“The ethos we have embraced as a white-ball team for many years. “I think he's gone through different coaches, different captains and a few different players,” Trescothick said. “People coming into this team know what to expect, know how they are going to play — and they have learned that well over the last few years.”
Tickets are still available for England's final match of a busy summer , which will take place just nine days before England's World Cup defense against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
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