• Freelance Freddie could change face of cricket
• Gamble will give more power to elite players

The era of the freelance international cricketer is upon us. If Andrew Flintoff’s decision to turn freelance is merely the last gamble in an injury-ravaged career, then England might yet reassert their right to control the careers of their leading players. But if Flintoff pulls it off, and becomes a successful, globetrotting cricketing brand, then the game will never be the same again.

Players’ representatives were privately predicting last night that England’s control of their most sought‑after players will now gradually weaken as Flintoff sets the trend. Such a scenario would turn players into powerful mercenaries contesting a hotchpotch of club Twenty20 tournaments, as well as international cricket, for the highest bidder.

The influence of Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, Flintoff’s agent, is writ large in the player’s decision. Chandler has long imagined Flintoff as a cricketing freelance, managing his own fitness and practice schedules, and agreeing his own cricketing calendar to maximize his income.

Considering Flintoff’s more laddish escapades – the drinking bouts that concerned his previous coach, Duncan Fletcher, during the 2006-07 tour of Australia, his tumble of a pedalo during the World Cup a few months later are just two of the best known – some will question whether he can survive without England’s monitoring and guidance. England’s coach, Andy Flower, is now charged with deciding whether Flintoff’s England career should continue when his refusal of an interim contract is a rejection of their right not just to manage his future, but to try to Read more…

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