I'm sure you guys have all read/seen/heard about this now. Thoughts? Personally, I've always thought Atherton to be a perceptive pundit and Flintoff to be a bit of a 'f-cking pr-ck' myself, talented though he may have been. He says that Atherton "sits there making judgements" - well, yeah that is what he is paid to do as a
commentator. Is he thick?
Andrew Flintoff launches scathing attack on Sky pundit Michael Atherton
Andrew Flintoff launched an expletive-ridden attack on fellow former England captain and Lancashire team-mate Mike Atherton on Thursday and also questioned his credentials to commentate on international cricket.
Flintoff described Atherton as a “f------ p----” at a party thrown in London by Sky, a company which employs both former cricketers.
Atherton has built a reputation as a respected commentator and broadcaster since retiring from international cricket in 2002, winning numerous awards for his writing.
But he made critical comments about Flintoff when he captained England to an Ashes whitewash in 2006.
Flintoff has cut his ties with cricket since injury forced his retirement in 2010, opting instead for a life of celebrity game shows and television travelogues working for Sky as a panellist on A League of Their Own.
England have grown as a side since he retired from Test cricket at the end of the 2009 Ashes series, becoming the best Test team in the world, and Lancashire won the county championship outright for the first time in 77 years last season without the talismanic all-rounder.
Unlike many former leading England players, Flintoff has shied away from cricket commentary and is only ever seen at matches sitting in the hospitality area. On Tuesday he was at the Oval, where his agent, Richard Thompson, is the chairman of Surrey, for England’s match against West Indies.
Atherton did not respond to Flintoff’s comments on Thursday which went further than just mindless swearing.
“He sits there making judgments about players that are much better than he ever was, believe me, he’s a p----. How can he talk about a player like Alastair Cook who is 10 times the player he ever was — he has a much bigger average and will go on and on,” said Flintoff.
“Atherton averaged in the 30s for England and yet he thinks he can judge others.” When told he was talking to a journalist at the Sky event, he replied: “I don’t care. Say what you like. There’s no love lost there.”
Flintoff’s criticisms are more direct but in some ways mirror Kevin Pietersen’s attack on Nick Knight, another Sky pundit, last month.
He was fined £5,000 by the England management for questioning whether Knight’s career record gave him the right to criticise current players, particularly Pietersen himself.
Atherton opened the batting for England for more than a decade during a time when the depth of fast bowling talent was deeper than the current era.
He averaged 37.69 from 115 Tests. Flintoff was a magnificent bowler for England at times during his career and was a key part of their 2005 Ashes winning side. But he managed only three five-wicket hauls for England, averaging 32 with the ball.
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Topic: Flintoff's tirade at Atherton (Read 4081 times)