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Flintoff’s fitness crucial for Broad

Posted on | August 6, 2009 | No Comments

If I were Stuart Broad I would be making sure that Andrew Flintoff has got plenty of ice to put on that dicky right knee. Because Broad’s place in this England team could depend on Flintoff being able to deliver a full complement of overs.

England won’t want to change their line-up. They have had the best of the last two Tests and you can tell by their body language that these players really believe they can beat Australia. The only worry is that Flintoff will have had just three days to rest his knee. Which is not much time to bring down the swelling and the soreness around the joint.

If things are looking dicey, Flintoff could end up playing mainly as a batsman. Even on one leg, he still has the ability to terrify the Aussies, and they will have nightmares about him producing the sort of big-hitting innings that Ian Botham once unleashed on Headingley.

Flintoff himself will be desperate to play; I can’t see him agreeing to miss the match unless he’s in hospital.

The chances are that Flintoff might have to cut back on his bowling a bit here, maybe by sending down eight or 10 overs in a day. If that is the case, then Broad’s lack of penetration becomes a problem.

Broad bowled a little bit better at Edgbaston, well enough to save himself if the balance of the team remains unchanged. But if England need a proper third seamer, I don’t believe he’s up to the job.

The choice will then come down to Steve Harmison versus Ryan Sidebottom. Conditions should dictate which way England go. I would normally recommend that they turn to Harmison, because he has been bowling well enough to justify a recall. My only reservation is that Headingley is not the sort of place where bang-it-in bowlers prosper. Sidebottom is a bit skiddier.

The best way to get life out of the pitch here is to kiss the top of the surface, something that Graham Onions does very well. He is the archetypal Headingley bowler, and when he was left out of the Durham team last year, we at Yorkshire were interested in whether he might fancy a move.

Headingley always used to be a result pitch, but Yorkshire recruited a groundsman from Lancashire, Andy Fogarty, and I’m afraid he has done too good a job. In the old days, the bowlers always thought they had a chance, while batsmen could make runs if they played well. Now, though, it’s very flat, like so many pitches around the world. The balance of the game has gone too far in the batsman’s favour.

If it swings, England should win, as they have the more threatening attack. The Aussies have been badly hampered by Mitchell Johnson’s loss of form. Because they do not have a genuine all-rounder, they are always one bowler short. They take two or three wickets in a rush, and then the pressure is released. The counterattacking 89-run stand between Flintoff and Matt Prior at Edgbaston was a classic example.

Selection is not clear-cut for Australia either. They could think about bringing in Stuart Clark, but he hasn’t had much bowling. As for Brett Lee, it would be madness to risk someone who has come back from a rib injury without letting him bowl in a practice match first. I don’t see how you can throw Lee in until after the game against the England Lions at Kent in 10 days’ time.

One option would be to swap Nathan Hauritz for Andrew McDonald, but England wouldn’t lose too much sleep over McDonald’s little medium-pacers. He’s the kind of bowler you see every week in county cricket.

Finally, I hope the crowd will behave when Ricky Ponting comes out to bat. I think it’s appalling that people have been booing him – just plain bad manners. I was taught that if you can’t applaud someone then keep quiet. The fans should be showing their appreciation for Ponting, who is a great player and a fine ambassador for the game.

The Australian players showed what quality people they are when several members of the team turned up at the City Square in Leeds for a three-hour civic reception with the mayoress. They dressed smartly, answered questions intelligently, and were a credit to their nation. So if you are sitting next to someone who is booing the Aussies this week, tell them to belt up. The Western Terrace has already got a bad reputation; we don’t want to make it any worse.

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