On another poor decision

The decision by Andrew Freelance-Flintoff to reject a central contract, and instead tout his wares to the highest bidder, is a significant one for cricket.

In deciding to become a hired gun, Freddie has done no more than indicate that his playing days are numbered, doubtless because his injuries are worse than we know, and he intends to milk what dollars he can out of the Delhi Daredevils, Lashmipur Longdrops or whoever before he ends up in a wheelchair.

We should not castigate him for this, instead remembering how he has soldiered manfully through his career to bear an England workload of immense proportions.

But we should be frightened, very frightened indeed. Because lots of promising all-rounders to whom Old Freelance is something of a guiding beacon may well follow his example and become the latter day Ronin of the cricketing world, masterless men who ply their trade wherever they can.

The likes of Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara and even Stuart Broad could well be lost to England. NZ rugby has already experienced this phenomenon – play a few games for the All Blacks, up your worth then sod off to the highest dollar in Europe. It’s a national pandemic, sadly, but amusingly keeps them from winning the world cup on a quadrannual basis.

But heaven forbid it should happen to English cricket. We can lose a world cup without this sort of hoohah. So I think the answer is clear – the MCC should dispatch a hit squad – old Deadly Derek himself could lead it, and quietly bring an end to the sorry Freddie saga – they could use a poisoned pedalo – which would send a quiet but firm message to budding all-rounders – play for England or you get it.