This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6194216.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Flintoff bullish over pressures | Flintoff bullish over pressures |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Captain Andrew Flintoff has shrugged off fears he is being asked to do too much as England try to keep the Ashes. | Captain Andrew Flintoff has shrugged off fears he is being asked to do too much as England try to keep the Ashes. |
| In addition to his captaincy Flintoff is also expected to contribute as both a key bowler and batsman. | In addition to his captaincy Flintoff is also expected to contribute as both a key bowler and batsman. |
| His poor showing with the bat in the first Test defeat has increased concerns over his workload but Flintoff has dismissed them. | His poor showing with the bat in the first Test defeat has increased concerns over his workload but Flintoff has dismissed them. |
| "The captaincy is not a distraction and I'm enjoying the job very much," he told The Sun newspaper. | "The captaincy is not a distraction and I'm enjoying the job very much," he told The Sun newspaper. |
| 606 DEBATE: Is the captaincy too much for Flintoff? | |
| "If that was the case (a distraction), I shouldn't be captain, but I don't feel that at all. | "If that was the case (a distraction), I shouldn't be captain, but I don't feel that at all. |
| "People have been asking whether I had other things on my mind when I got out to Shane Warne in Brisbane, but that had nothing to do with it. | "People have been asking whether I had other things on my mind when I got out to Shane Warne in Brisbane, but that had nothing to do with it. |
| "I played a poor shot, simple as that. It was the same in the first innings when I groped at a ball from Brett Lee probably because I was a little anxious to feel bat on ball. | "I played a poor shot, simple as that. It was the same in the first innings when I groped at a ball from Brett Lee probably because I was a little anxious to feel bat on ball. |
| We have to go into Friday's Second Test in a positive frame of mind England captain Andrew Flintoff | We have to go into Friday's Second Test in a positive frame of mind England captain Andrew Flintoff |
| "When I'm in the middle with a ball or bat in my hand, all I'm thinking about is either hitting it or bowling it." | "When I'm in the middle with a ball or bat in my hand, all I'm thinking about is either hitting it or bowling it." |
| England were hammered by 277 runs in the first Test in Brisbane but Flintoff is staying positive heading into Friday's second Test in Adelaide. | England were hammered by 277 runs in the first Test in Brisbane but Flintoff is staying positive heading into Friday's second Test in Adelaide. |
| "Trying to win this series now is a huge job, I realise that. But we can't let losing the First Test dent our confidence. | "Trying to win this series now is a huge job, I realise that. But we can't let losing the First Test dent our confidence. |
| "In some ways, having another Test match so soon is good because it means we have to get straight back into it. | "In some ways, having another Test match so soon is good because it means we have to get straight back into it. |
| "We're in a position most of us have been in before - 1-0 down in an Ashes series. And we all know what happened last time. | "We're in a position most of us have been in before - 1-0 down in an Ashes series. And we all know what happened last time. |
| "After losing at Lord's last year, we went to Edgbaston and scored more than 400 on the first day. | "After losing at Lord's last year, we went to Edgbaston and scored more than 400 on the first day. |
| "You can't really set out to do something like that - it was just the way an amazing day's cricket unfolded. | "You can't really set out to do something like that - it was just the way an amazing day's cricket unfolded. |
| "But the point is that we have to go into Friday's Second Test in a positive frame of mind. | "But the point is that we have to go into Friday's Second Test in a positive frame of mind. |
| "Just because we've lost a Test, we've not become a bad side or bad players. We have a lot of belief in ourselves." | "Just because we've lost a Test, we've not become a bad side or bad players. We have a lot of belief in ourselves." |