OTD| Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was born in 1977

Flare, aggression, and street fighter attitude, are what describe the former English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. The former all-rounder is celebrating his 46th birthday today. His career was not conventionally long but in a brief career, he carved a special place for himself in English cricket’s history. The Lancashire-born cricketer was a major force in bringing the Ashes pride back to England.

The Beginning

Andrew Flintoff made his test debut for England against South Africa in 1998. His all-round potential took him to the ODI team as well. He played his first ODI international against Pakistan in 1999. Flintoff gradually cemented his place in the English side as he provided an X-factor to the team with his bowling and batting. He possessed a different kind of aggression which set him apart from others and made him so important in the English team. In 2005 he made his T20 debut against Australia at Southampton and went on to be a part of the squad for the T20 World Cup in 2007.

The Overview

Andrew Flintoff played 79 test matches for England where he picked up 226 wickets and scored 3845 runs with the bat. The 2005 Ashes series would be the highlight of his test career when he helped England beat the Aussies and win the series after a long time. He was also an integral part of the ODI squad. Flintoff represented England in 141 One-Day internationals. He was equally impressive and impactful in the limited-overs cricket as well. Throughout his career, he made 3394 runs with the bat at an average of 32.01. Not just with the bat but he contributed with the ball as well and picked up 169 wickets in ODI cricket. 

He had a very brief T20 career where he played only 7 T20 internationals and bid adieu to the shortest format. His records are not exceptional but his legend lies in his spirit and love for this game. Andrew Flintoff would always feature in the elite list of all-rounders that cricket has ever witnessed. 

Also read: One of India’s finest bowling talents and current chief selector Ajit Agarkar was born in 1977