Ashes whitewash was the worst time of my career, says Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff, England's captain when they where whitewashed 5–0 by Australia in the last Ashes series, has admitted it was the lowest point in his career, although as he prepares for the three-day Ashes warm-up game against Warwickshire, which starts at Edgbaston tomorrow, he claims he is none the worse for the experience.
"You experience the euphoria of [winning in] 2005 and then the disappointments of 2006–07. Probably the last series emotionally was the stronger of the two," said the Lancashire all-rounder. "But all that is behind us. We have got a very new team and rather than dining out on 2005 or dwelling on 2006–07, it is all about what happens over the next six weeks. Of course, it was tough for a while but it has long gone now and a lot of things have happened in my life since."
In recent years Flintoff has become known more for his constant battle for fitness than for any sporting struggles, most recently having keyhole surgery in late April to repair knee cartilage. But he insists he always believed that he could recover the form that helped England to win the Ashes in 2005.
He said: "From my point of view, through all the injuries I had, if I didn't think I could come back and play the cricket I played in the past or be better, I don't think I would have done it.
"You miss England more as you get older. When you have missed as much cricket as me, of course you do. I've had something like two years' rehab since 2005 and it has been tough. The reason you do it is to put back on that England shirt, to get the chance to play in an Ashes series.
"I'm not far away from that now but, as you get older, you don't want to miss much cricket because you don't know how much you've got in you."
Flintoff believes he is on target to be firing on all cylinders for the opening Test in Cardiff, which begins on 8 July. "For the past eight weeks since the knee operation, I've been working hard," he said. "Hopefully that is all behind me now. I'll just keep maintaining my fitness and looking after my knee as well as my ankle. I've played three weeks for Lancashire, bowled my overs, managed to score a few runs, and I'm pleased where I am at this stage.
"This game with Warwickshire is the final piece of the preparation for the team and also for myself. I've played two championship games and three Twenty20s and so this last game is vitally important, for form and also to bowl some overs and to get some more runs."
Flintoff is the only survivor from the 2005 Ashes attack which also included Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles but he has confidence in the current crop of bowlers.
"We have got competition for bowlers," he said. "You see the way Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad have forged this new ball partnership and have done fantastically well. Jimmy Anderson as a bowler has always been skilful, and had all the tools, but now he looks like he has learnt how to use them. He is dangerous.
"Broady gets better all the time and, for the position of the next seamer, Graham Onions has improved out of sight and Ryan Sidebottom is bowling quick again and myself. It is exciting.
"There is competition for places within the squad and we have not even mentioned Steve Harmison who is knocking everybody over. It is going to make for a strong team."