Flintoff to Brisbane: Cricketing Reasons or Publicity Stunt?

Edgbaston, 23rd August 2014. NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day. Andrew Flintoff, drafted back into the Lancashire Lightning side in place of Kabir Ali, who was injured earlier in the day, comes on to bowl the third over of the match to Birmingham Bears’ opener Ian Bell. Bell tries to nonchalantly chip a length ball over mid-on, but only succeeds in finding the fielder. Flintoff has struck first ball. Later in the evening, with his side in dire straits, ‘Freddie’ comes in to bat at number 9, with 30 runs required off thirteen balls. Despite hitting two sixes in his knock of twenty off eight, Flintoff cannot steer his side to victory. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old has inspired his team, five years to the day after his Test Match farewell at the Oval, and looks set to win contracts around the World after a successful comeback with Lancashire.

Three months on, and the all-rounder has done just that. The sight of him in a Brisbane Heat shirt was pasted across the internet on Thursday morning, with the now 37-year-old Flintoff having agreed to play for the side, who finished one point outside the play-offs last year, for the 2014/15 season.

However, the interview he gave with ESPNCricinfo seemed to imply that perhaps, Flintoff will not be in Brisbane solely for cricketing reasons. “I’m excited to be coming back to Australia and especially to Brisbane which has always been a favourite spot of mine to play,” Flintoff said. “Stuart Law (Brisbane head coach) and I have had a few conversations and I’m clear on what we’re looking to achieve in the competition.”

Now, it is a well-known fact that Flintoff is no saint. His legendary night out with the England side after the 2005 Ashes victory and the pedalo incident which led him to be stripped of the vice-captaincy during the 2007 World Cup are just a couple of misdemeanours in a long list, and in 2012, he told The Guardian of his drinking problems and depression which plagued the final years of his initial career. Without implying that he has signed a contract with a complete disregard to cricket, it does seem as though Flintoff’s signing may be to do with ticket and merchandise sales as much as playing the game. After all, in an interview with Broadcaster ABC, Heat coach Law saw it necessary to say that “He’s an enormous competitor and so I know he is coming out for the right reasons. The Brisbane fans will quickly discover he’s a champion fella and I’m sure they will love having him with the team … He’s a wonderful person and we’re looking forward to having Fred and his family with us at the Heat over the summer.”

It’s going to be great heading out to Brisbane and getting into the swing of things for the BBL in December – Andrew Flintoff

That Law saw it fit to mention his family, the fans and his character in his very first interview shows that perhaps this is not entirely a cricketing decision. When you consider that the Heat already have two overseas players – left-arm spinner Dan Vettori and West Indian Samuel Badree – signed up for the summer, and that each BBL side is only allowed to field two overseas players per game, it seems as though Flintoff may well be part of a publicity stunt by Brisbane management.

Law also commented “I’ve told Fred we signed him to win games of cricket, so that means we want him bowling 140km/h, hitting sixes and using his experience around the group to get the job done.” It seems strange that despite a Finals Day showing in which the speed gun clocked Flintoff in the low-80s mph (125km/h), Law is still hopefully of ‘Fred’ bowling at the speed he managed to reach at only a select few points in his career. Also, after just two innings for Lancashire this summer, it is hard to envisage that Flintoff will hit the ball out of the ground from ball one.

All in all, it seems as though Flintoff may simply be in Brisbane’s plans solely for marketing reasons. Despite the fact that he may be heading out with good intentions, it is hard to see him breaking into the Heat team, and his broadcasting contract with Network 10 at the same time seems unlikely to be a coincidence. Of course, it would provide great entertainment for all cricket fans if I were to be proved spectacularly wrong, but it seems unlikely.