Flintoff: ‘We cheated in 2005 Ashes’
Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff admitted that his side cheated in the 2005 Ashes series – only to insist hours later that he was only kidding.
Discussing substitute fielders following Australia’s much-criticised decision to use massage therapist Grant Baldwin in the role during the just-completed Adelaide Test against New Zealand, Flintoff was asked on The Project about England’s sub-fielder policy during the famous 2005 series.
Baldwin made errors in the field in the day-night Test, prompting former Australian players and commentators to question why a domestic cricketer had not been used, as is usually the case.
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The Project host Waleed Aly asked Flintoff if England cheated by using specialist fieldsman Gary Pratt as a substitute during their 2005 Ashes victory – when they regained the urn for the first time in 16 years.
Pratt infamously ran out Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, which England won by three wickets.
In response to the cheating allegations, Flintoff responded with a wide smirk and said: “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”
Ponting let fly at the England coach Duncan Fletcher as he left the field in Nottingham and was subsequently fined for his outburst.
Despite his claims, Flintoff took to Twitter after Tuesday night’s interview to insist he was only joking.
I cheated I bowled too fast & hit the ball too hard ,before knickers are twisted I appear to be joking @theprojecttv https://t.co/t2vMzlWpbh
— andrew flintoff (@flintoff11) December 1, 2015
