Wellock's World
Selecting infamous Freddie would be a gamble
UNLIKE his great friend Steve
Harmison, Freddie Flintoff is
not known for suspecting
"they've all got it in for me."
But his infamy continues to
grow, as befits most sporting
celebrities these days.
He has just escaped
prosecution for allegedly
driving at 87mph in a 50mph
zone by employing "Mr
Loophole", a solicitor who has
got Sir Alex Ferguson, Wayne
Rooney, David Beckham and
Ronnie O'Sullivan off similar
charges.
Freddie was presumably
more in control of the car than
he was of a certain pedalo, but
he has driven further down the
route of football-style celebrity
by seeking to knock down a
large house in a north Cheshire
village in order to replace it
with an even bigger one. This
usually involves replacing
grandeur with tastelessness
and planning permission has
been denied.
None of this, of course,
will come into
consideration when the
England cricket
selectors get together
this weekend. They
may not even know
about it, although I
suspect they are
better informed than
David Graveney's
cohorts when he first
became a selector.
The policy then
was to name a squad
for the series, and
when Graveney
suggested an extra
bowler should be added
as it was a six-Test series,
the chairman said: "I didn't
know it was a six-Test series,
did you Fred?" Mr Titmus
responded that he was
similarly ill-informed.
England face only a three-
Test series against New
Zealand, followed by four
against South Africa, and the
question of when Flintoff
should be recalled has become
a big talking point.
His celebrity lifestyle, and
his drinking, are unlikely to
enter the selectors' equation,
although they might like to ask
themselves why England's
performances generally have
declined since the visit to 10
Downing Street and open-top
bus ride following the 2005
Ashes triumph.
For the likes of Flintoff, Paul
Collingwood and Michael
Vaughan, county cricket ought
to provide serious practice. Yet
they have barely mustered a
run between them this
season.
Vaughan wants to keep
the top six intact, so if
Flintoff comes in a
bowler will have to go.
That will probably be
Jimmy Anderson, although
it is not inconceivable that
for the first Test England will
do without a spinner.
Flintoff has done extremely
well in short bursts for
Lancashire this season,
bowling even faster than he
drives. But that doesn't mean
he can withstand a heavy
workload in a four-man Test
attack. England reached their
zenith in 2005 with Flintoff
adding essential balance as an
all-rounder batting at six.
Unless he can perform that
role again then selecting him is
a gamble, given that he had
totalled 68 runs in six innings
this season, which
included eight against
Scotland.
IT'S JUST as well for
Newcastle Falcons that
tomorrow's final match
of the season at
Worcester is not a
decider for a second
relegation place as
only one team goes
down from the
Premiership.
But the Falcons
will be favourites
for the drop next
season unless
someone, whether
it be a new owner,
coach, or hugely
influential player, can
reverse the decline.
As with all boasts about
academies, it becomes very
hollow when the brightest
products move on, so even the
encouragement of a 10,000
crowd against Wasps on
Wednesday night can be of
little solace.
As at St James' Park, the
Falcons want top-level
European action but are a long
way from achieving it as they
are well adrift of the top eight,
never mind the top four.
Kevin Keegan, meanwhile, is
back to the level of
disenchantment which
prompted me to suggest he
should get out of football for
good towards the end of his
days at Manchester City. I'm
sure it
didn't take a defeat by Chelsea
for him to realise that the
Magpies are a million miles
from competing with the top
four, but after recent results
the defeat obviously hurt.
Mike Ashley obviously
courts popularity, which is
why he appointed Keegan. But
there can be little future in the
partnership and Tyneside's
search for a sporting saviour
will continue. Is there no-one
out there who can combine
mega-bucks with shrewd
sporting sense and an ability
to inspire?
WHITHER Dwain Chambers
now? Or should that be wither,
which is what he is likely to do
without the benefit of his
muscle-building supplements?
In announcing that
Chambers would not be given a
contract at Castleford, the
Rugby League club's chief
executive said: "Many people
watched Dwain in his trial
game. He proved the trial
was more than simply a
publicity stunt. However,
he has given us a huge
media profile."
While noting the
obvious contradiction
there, I wonder how on
earth Castleford
expect to benefit from
this huge profile. It's
a bit like George
Reynolds' reported
attempts to sign
Faustino Asprilla
for Darlington -
plenty of
coverage and
amusement for
the punters.
But no benefit
whatsoever.
11:20am Friday 9th May 2008
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