“Reverse swing is a great asset if it happens.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I don’t live a rock n’ roll lifestyle.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Now, I am not saying that the world is flat, but it could be.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Why, if we’re hurtling through space, why would water stay still? Why is it not wobbling?”
― Andrew Flintoff
“If you’re in a helicopter, and you hover, why does the Earth not come to you if it’s round?”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I can easily go up to 19 stone or so if I’m not careful.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’m not that good at cards.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Old Trafford – as a cricket ground, I love playing there. It’s a second home for me; I’ve been going there since I was young. It just feels right there.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I am not a big fan of hockey.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“If I get runs in an entertaining fashion, then great. I like to get on top of bowlers and be aggressive. I don’t want to be dominated by them. Hopefully people enjoy the way I play.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I would like to be as successful as Ian Botham was, but if I’m doing anything, I’m doing it as myself.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“When I was younger, I played football and table tennis for local teams. I also played mini-rugby at primary school – I was tall for my age – and Preston Grasshoppers wanted me, but I wasn’t that interested in rugby. It was always going to be cricket for me.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“In boxing, Mike Tyson fascinates me. The attitude and confidence that he could not be beaten when he was heavyweight champion of the world was interesting. He came across as very mild-mannered, and much of what he said made sense.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I was just 17 when I made my debut for Lancashire against Hampshire at Portsmouth. I got seven and a duck. I didn’t get a wicket, either. Funnily enough, it was more nerve-wracking than playing for England.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“My father, Colin, and my brother, Chris, who is four years older than me, were a great help to me when I was younger.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I like spending time away with the family.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I like going down the pub with my mates and horse racing. I don’t do anything that exciting.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I like being out on the cricket field and performing and playing in front of a crowd. I find it quite tricky when there are press photographers outside my house. It’s all very bizarre.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I had time with my family, which was great, but I am a cricketer, and once that was taken away from me, it was as though part of me wasn’t there.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I am actually learning to enjoy bowling, and I never thought I’d say that. I didn’t enjoy it in the past because it hurt. It hurt my back or my ankle.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“One of the reasons why you want to play cricket is to play in front of big crowds, and in India, it is the perfect place to do that. The atmosphere here is like no other place in the world. Having experienced it once, you want to keep coming back.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I took my wife to a really expensive hotel in Dubai. This was when we were first dating, so I wanted to impress her. I had scallops, and after that, I went to the bathroom to be sick. I realised I had just paid ã300 or ã400 on scallops just to throw it up. My wife and I then talked about it; I knew I had a problem.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve got quite a lot of energy in me and a lot of pent-up aggression. I’m like a dog. I need walking.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Maybe it’s the sportsman in me, but if it is going to be television, I want to be the best I can be.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I was a professional cricketer for 16 years.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve been offered all the usual, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and the like, but the one thing I know is that for me to be good, I’ve got to absolutely love doing something. And you can’t dance the foxtrot half-hearted.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve been to a lot of places to play cricket, but cricket and training get in the way! In India, all you see is the hotel and the cricket ground.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“North of England, you’re brought up on fish and chips. Friday or Saturdays every week, it was a treat.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I love Britain, but I’ve only been to the obvious places.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I always wanted to captain the teams I played in.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Playing for England was always something I dreamt of and, of course, you then think of the captaincy. It was something I never thought I would be offered, especially after the way I started my career. But when it came along, I was very keen to have a go.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“The Ashes have been hard, but you take the accolades when they come along.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“It is one thing being scrutinised for playing a bad shot as a batsman or bowling a bad spell as a bowler, but the captaincy adds an extra dimension. The criticism is slightly harder to take.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Big things, a real crisis, I think I’m pretty good, but this little thing will just wallop me. I think I’m managing depression better now: when the mood comes, I just try and sit it out.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“My school was pretty tough, and I played football there so I would be accepted, to save myself a kicking.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Cricket was deemed too posh where I came from, and I’d never have risked walking home through the estates in my whites. My club played some of the posh schools. I’d have the cheapest kit, but I loved those games. As soon as the posh lads opened their mouths and you heard their accents, the stakes were raised.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ll be fine, and suddenly I’ll feel the depression coming on. It can start with the smallest thing.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I take the same Timberland holdall wherever I go, stuffed with all my gear. Or a Louis Vuitton weekender my wife bought me. I’d never have a bag that you wheel; they get in the way.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“India – I’ve always felt at home there. Delhi and Mumbai and the Taj Mahal are all incredible – but it’s the people I love. Indians are so interesting and accommodating and friendly. The best hotel I’ve stayed at there is the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur: its architecture is unbelievable.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I have a Harley and a Bourget, which I enjoy taking into the countryside.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I flew to Los Angeles to interview Vinnie Jones and Piers Morgan for the BBC and spent 11 hours in economy on BA, and the leg room was fine. In business class, Virgin, BA, and Emirates are good. I’ve flown business class on Kingfisher, which has proper couches.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve had a go at captaincy. Batting and bowling and captaincy turned out to be a bit too much.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I enjoy playing Test cricket, especially against India in India.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“We always gave one-day cricket respect as players, definitely.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Throughout my career, in cricket and beyond, I’ve been incredibly lucky with my marriage. I met Rachael in 2002, and that was the year my England career kicked on. Everything started to click.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Looking back, I feel for the missus. She used to get the worst of me.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“It was two different worlds: my world – cricket, the dressing room and the lads. And then family. Even when they travelled with me, it wasn’t always easy to bridge the gap.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Looking at my family today, I think, ‘I could not have done any better.’ That’s one thing I have got right.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve tired of looking into the future, imagining all the things I want to have.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’m gradually getting rid of all the things I don’t need.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve seen material competitiveness destroy relationships in dressing rooms. People end up worrying about what someone else is earning and whether they’re missing out.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Success isn’t about things we acquire.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“There have always been two people jostling for control of my life, two totally opposite characters. The first one is super-confident, bulletproof, a showman, and an extrovert. He tries to make people laugh, messes about, gets into trouble, shrugs it off. The other character is withdrawn and reflective.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I never really felt I belonged; there was always a sense of apartness. At school, I was the cricketer.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve thrived on people writing me off. Because if you write me off, I’ll shut you up.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“As a cricketer, I played on bravado and character. My personality was bound up with how I played the game.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’ve never been – and never will be – someone who ‘plays the game’ with people.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I don’t suck up to anyone or do any of that. I point-blank refuse. I just hate it.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I remember, when Paul Collingwood first came into the dressing room, we did everything together. We practised together, trained together, had dinner together; we batted together and did well in games together – we were thick as thieves. When he got established, he just binned me.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I love music more than I love sport.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I worked behind the record counter at Woolworths when I was 16. It was when Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ came out and The Verve were getting big. I’d have probably worked my way up to store manager if I’d have stuck around.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I do sometimes like a bit of cheese, like MC Hammer.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I’m a bit old school with my aftershave – I still wear Joop.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“When you get offered the captaincy, you’ve got to have a go. In India, where it went well, I was playing well ,and anything that needed doing, I’d do it myself. When I wasn’t playing well, it was tough.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“The one thing we need to do to continue to maintain Test cricket as being special is cutting down the amount and make it a real occasion rather than playing one after another.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“You can do pretty much anything you want in Dubai. In terms of getting around, everywhere’s within half an hour in the car.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I would try monoskiing, but the problem is my dodgy knee’s on my right side, and my bad ankle’s on my left, so I can’t really use either.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I want to be the world’s number one one-day player; I want to win a World Cup, win the championship with Lancashire – those are my motivations.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I have no problems with a multicultural society; I think that is to the benefit of the country. But you have to be careful what levels you take it to.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“It annoys me when I phone a hotel receptionist in my own country, and they don’t understand what I am saying because they don’t speak English. I think that’s wrong. It’s nothing to do with being politically correct or incorrect; it’s just not right.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Cricket kept me away from trouble.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“A lot of kids don’t get the chance to play sport.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“When I retired first time around, injury had beaten me, and I hated that. Now I realise I’m no longer good enough. And I can handle that. It’s fine that I’m not good enough.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Since leaving cricket, I’ve tried my hand at professional boxing, a live stage show, and working for TV. I’ve had some interesting experiences, including working with the former basketball player Dennis Rodman.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I made a series for ITV, just after I retired from Tests in 2009, called ‘Flintoff Versus the World.’ The idea was that I would attempt a series of extreme sports – rodeo riding, jumping out of aeroplanes, paragliding, cliff diving. I thought, ‘Yeah, it looks fun. It’s six weeks having a laugh.’”
― Andrew Flintoff
“In my early England days, there was a bit of tension with captain Nasser Hussain.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I was great mates with Muttiah Muralitharan, dating back to the days when we both played together at Lancashire.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I don’t play for money. I’m not sure I even can play just for money. Money is great; I can’t lie about that.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Ambition is a funny thing. In cricket, as in many professions, it tends to take you on a journey away from where you started. That’s fine, maybe inevitable. But no one ever tells you that the biggest days aren’t always the best days. And the richest prizes aren’t the ones you remember.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I won some winners’ medals with Lancashire – a NatWest trophy and a couple of Sunday Leagues.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“’Top Gear’ is one of those shows that you’d love to do.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Now, I have a confession to make. I hate warm-ups with a passion. Worst part of the whole day. Nonsense, they are.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Some players like to practise right up to the start of play. But for me, whatever warming up I did was only going to be followed by cooling down again.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I like the look of all-rounder Ben Stokes. I usually have no interest in comparing new players with myself, but there are some interesting parallels here.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“They’re strange, the Aussies. Because if they like you, they say, ‘Oh, he’s an Aussie.’ And I keep saying, ‘I’m not, I’m from Preston.’ There’s nothing Australian about me. Don’t start claiming me just because I’ve got a job over here.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I would never bet against a side I’m playing in. I’d never bet against myself, ever.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“My bats were brilliant. The shape of them changed, and towards the end of my career, they got a little bit bigger.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“The thing with sledging is it very rarely goes well. Usually, if I was sledging, I was struggling.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I rate myself as a driver, but I think everybody does.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I thought my dream job was to play cricket.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I have been called a man of many talents, but I like to keep a few of those talents hidden.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“It was an old cricket coach who started calling me Fred – as in Flintstone. There are far worse things to be called in the dressing room.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Sometimes, there’s a fine line between bravery and utter stupidity. The day I decided to climb into a boxing ring for a professional fight was probably on the side of stupidity.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I can remember all the bad games and rubbish shots I’ve played far more than all my successes. Luckily, as I’ve got older, I’ve got better at dealing with that. What’s the point of regrets? They don’t change anything.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“Apart from the occasional bit of dad dancing, I really can’t dance.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I grew up watching ‘Corrie,’ and I still watch it whenever I can. It’s got everything – drama, humour, and great characters. I used to watch it even when I was living in Dubai.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I wish I’d walked out of ‘The Tourist’ with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. I said to the missus after two minutes, ‘He’s her husband.’ An hour and a half’s worth of nonsense later, the big twist at the end is… he’s her husband.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“I actually love the Discovery Channel.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“With the cricket, I knew what I was doing – to a degree.”
― Andrew Flintoff
“You’re never prepared for the end of a career.”
― Andrew Flintoff
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