Strauss: Alcohol is not to blame
CRICKET: England captain Andrew Strauss yesterday insisted all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s latest indiscretion was not alcohol-related.
Flintoff, who was famously sent home from the 2007 World Cup for a drink-fuelled pedalo expedition, missed the team bus for a visit to World War I memorial sites in Belgium on Saturday.
But Strauss said Flintoff’s lapse in timekeeping was not down to him being drunk the previous night, and praised his improved behaviour. “It’s a punctuality issue. He missed the bus but played a full part in the rest of the day’s activities and seemed absolutely fine,” said Strauss.
“We had a team dinner the previous night and certainly alcohol wasn’t banned, but there’s no reason to suspect there was anything massively untoward happening.
“It’s something he’s been working very hard on – I think he generally recognises when the times are to drink and when not to drink. And it’s important, clearly career-wise, that he stays on the right side of that.”