Use Flintoff as Larwood to give Ponting ‘Bodyline’ chin music during Ashes: Chappell
By ANIWednesday, July 7, 2010
MELBOURNE - Australia’s former Test skipper Ian Chappell has asked England to learn from the Bodyline series and bring Andrew Flintoff out of the retirement to make Ricky Ponting’s life miserable during the Ashes.
Ponting has struggled against the short ball in the last 12 months and Chappell believes Flintoff would be the perfect man to launch a bouncer attack at the Australian skipper.
Flintoff quit Test cricket after England’s Ashes win last year but is on the brink of a first-class comeback with Lancashire.
Chappell said Flintoff should be brought to target Ponting in the manner England captain Douglas Jardine used Harold Larwood to try get Don Bradman out during the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-33, The Courier Mail reports.
“Jardine was quick to realise you need good fast bowling to win in Australia. Jardine not only provided Larwood with a blueprint for unsettling Bradman, he also made sure he had plenty of fast bowling back-up,” Chappell told Cricinfo.If Andrew Strauss wants to reach the dizzy heights he could learn another lesson from Jardine. England currently has a versatile attack but the one thing they lack is a man with the speed, accuracy and aura to shake up good batsmen on bouncy Australian pitches.
“The one bowler with those credentials is Flintoff. Every other England bowler will present a stronger challenge to Ponting’s authority if a fit Andrew Flintoff is lurking in the shadows,” he said.
“Strauss would be wise to advise Flintoff that if he’s fit, he’d like him in the touring party, even if it’s just for two or three specific Tests,” Chappell added. (ANI)
