England's Ashes hero Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff has shown exactly what it takes to be a great cricketing all-rounder. As he publishes his autobiography, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks at the contrasts in his character and what his country expects of him now.

CRICKETING all-rounders are perhaps the ultimate examples of a split personality. Hurling the ball down at 90mph, smashing a drive through extra cover - it is the ability to switch personas during the course of a match that marks out the sport's most protean performers.

Yet, even in a world where a chameleon-like character is essential, Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, the hero of this summer's thrilling Ashes success, combines more contrasts than most.

Painfully shy and private off the field, he has developed a gregarious, outgoing personality that demands attention in the middle.

Loudly lauded as one of the greatest players in the world, his popularity is enhanced because of his sheer normality. Flintoff is a one-off but, at the same time, he remains one of us.

And fiercely committed when the game gets underway, he is the epitome of sportsmanship and fraternity once the final ball is bowled. At times, it is almost as if he is two different men and, at the start of the summer, accepting that fact helped the Lancastrian overcome injury and lack of form to spearhead England's assault on the Ashes.

Flintoff hardly looks like the ideal candidate for the psychologist's couch but, in yet another example of his ability to defy expectations, it was coming to terms with himself that helped him overcome the Australians.

"My preparations included seeing a guy called Jamie Edwards, who describes himself as a 'mental coach'," says the 27-year-old, who is the firm favourite to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December.

"The session consisted of Jamie asking questions and from the answers I gave, the penny dropped.

'Jamie broke me down into two people; there is Andrew who goes home and is a father and a husband, and on the cricket pitch there is Fred who just goes out there and has a crack. I took that on board and, for the rest of the series after the first Test, I tried to go out there and just play and enjoy my cricket."

That enjoyment was no doubt enhanced by everything that followed. Fred the cricketer allowed even Andrew the home-boy to come out of his shell.

While each and every member of the England squad played a part in this summer's success, there is no doubt that Flintoff's role was pivotal.

At crucial times in crucial games, England's talisman made crucial interventions. It was he who consistently accounted for Australia's lynchpin, Adam Gilchrist, and it was he who hammered Brett Lee out of the attack whenever the paceman looked like swinging the series the tourists' way.

It was also his third-day display that inspired England's critical win in the Second Test at Edgbaston, a two-run victory that squared the series and earned the epithet 'The Greatest Test'.

"I had never known a day like it in my life," says Flintoff. "I was told at the end that I had been on the field for 77 of the 95 overs and had contributed 141 runs, six wickets and two catches to the match.

"It was certainly my best day for England and I don't think I have had a better day in any match if you take into account the opposition and the occasion."

Yet, 24 hours later, his stock had risen even further. Somewhat inevitably, given his ability to do anything and everything, that shift had nothing to do with either bat or ball.

Test cricket is an unforgiving arena. Sledging - a war of words at the wicket - is rife, winning is increasingly seen as the be all and end all, and defeat as a sign of weakness rather than an inevitable consequence of the game.

So when, after England had triumphed by the narrowest of margins and Flintoff eschewed celebration to console a crestfallen Lee, his chivalry was heralded as the essence of sport itself. To Flintoff, though, it was merely the point at which Fred ended and Andrew began.

"Everyone started celebrating all around the place," he says. "In the stands, on the field, everywhere. I went straight over to Brett Lee because I really felt for him.

"He had tried everything to get Australia over the line and to hit an unbeaten 43 in those circumstances was unbelievable.

"I remembered what it felt like to lose against the West Indies in the ICC Trophy final and how, when we went to shake hands with them at the end, there wasn't one of them anywhere to be seen because they had all set off on their lap of honour.

"I told Brett that he should be proud of the way he had played because he was absolutely brilliant."

The picture of Flintoff leaning over Lee remains the enduring image of the summer, although a rather less polished photograph undoubtedly runs it close.

If the whole of England celebrated last month's dramatic draw at The Oval that finally confirmed the destiny of the Ashes, no-one partied harder than the team's biggest star.

In order to overcome his insecurities, Preston's finest had been a heavy drinker in his youth, with his weight once ballooning over 19 stone. A combination of professionalism and panic helped address the issue but, with the series in the bag, the Flintoff of old returned.

Yet, in a society increasingly tiring of sports stars' indiscretions, his drinking binge seemed perfectly in keeping with the prevailing mood.

"I didn't want the night to end," he says. "I drank and drank and drank and drank and I could probably still be sitting there now. I was high on adrenalin and kept finding myself punching the air every so often. I think I finally went up to my room around breakfast time and got ready for the reception we were due to have at Mansion House before we got onto the open-top bus.

"I had a bath and put my blazer on and went back down for breakfast, when I had another bottle of lager before we set off again. People who have seen pictures of my state for the rest of the day have asked me since whether I managed to take any of it in and I can assure them I did. I may have been a little unsteady on my feet, but what do you expect after drinking all night and having no sleep?"

What indeed and, in more general terms, what now do we expect of Flintoff?

On the field, we expect him to lose none of his effectiveness despite England's packed fixture list and the opposition's increased awareness of his skills. Off it, we expect him to continue providing an example to aspiring youngsters and fellow professionals alike.

In short, we expect him to be the perfect all-rounder. It is a good job that, in everything he has done over the last two months, he has shown that to be exactly what he is.

* Being Freddie: My Story So Far, by Andrew Flintoff (Hodder & Stoughton, £18.99).