

1 Jul 2025 · 1h 2m · 17 chapters

Freddie Flintoff discusses his transition from international cricket to coaching and TV, including his early coaching influences, his approach to developing England’s young players, and a surprising detour into WWE training; he also comments on England’s prospects for the upcoming India and Australia tours.
Freddie Flintoff (former England cricketer; now England/Lions coach; describes coaching style as calm, people-focused, and character-driven). Co-hosts/other speakers include Phil (appears as interviewer/participant) and Kieran (another participant); additional cricket figures are referenced in stories (e.g., Bumble, Geoff Ogden, Ian Austin, Michael Atherton, Jack Russell).
Great coaching is “unwavering backing” and taking pressure off players while still demanding competition. Coaches should focus on how players get the ball down the pitch/conditions, not just technique. Flintoff says he learned coaching balance through coach development and time away from cricket.
His first major coach “Bumble” backing him into Lancashire; learning seam positions from Bumble; coaching anecdotes like using a “book” to track first-overs bowling plans; coaching Eddie Jacks (fast bowler) and Dan Mousley’s rapid rise; his WWE idea/training in Tampa after retiring, including a three-year contract offer and later choosing boxing instead.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes.
Hosts engage in light-hearted conversation while transitioning to the show.
“Fred goes at the end, so guests are always here and you're always in the same Oh, hello, we've now progressed to tomato and charcuterie.”
Hosts share amusing anecdotes and experiences related to cricket and darts.
“Bowen was his wife's name, and he was called Pete Williams, which is exactly the same name as Robbie Williams' dad.”
Discussion on the importance of early coaching influences in Flintoff's career.
“So I was with Gunnar Maw and I always remember him knocking on my door the night before the first test saying, Skip, can I borrow your pads tomorrow?”
Flintoff shares insights on learning from senior players and memorable experiences.
“in my career he saw this young lad who was quite insecure, not sure of himself.”
Listeners will hear about early experiences and formative moments in cricket.
“He used to struggle with his groin, because his back leg would land like that, and so he'd stretch this groin all the time.”
The conversation explores coaching styles and the importance of player relationships.
“Atherton are back into the hill all the time.”
Flintoff discusses the challenges and adjustments post-retirement from cricket.
“I think it taught me a lot about how a team can run.”
Freddie shares his journey towards WWE and his quest for fitness.
“You had to finish because of injury, so you're unfulfilled.”
Learn about Freddie Flintoff's unexpected transition into WWE training and the challenges he faced.
“tough in Preston so what happened was he got to a point in Dubai were I was unfit, I'd put weight on, I was just not in a good place.”
Freddie shares his decision to switch from wrestling to boxing and his experiences in the ring.
“you'll be at Wrestlemania you'll be at Brumbo I'm thinking you are and the money was obscene was it?”
Freddie reflects on his coaching experiences, focusing on youth development and character traits in players.
“so I had a fight a boxing You could, hadn't you?”
A discussion on spotting young talent in cricket and the challenges faced by coaches.
“we've got a couple of coaches here, and we had it a lot of times.”
Insights into the performance and potential of county cricketers.
“Well, I mean, everyone said he's good and yet...”
Discussion on the current state of English cricket and coaching approaches.
“What about, I mean, you're in the inner sanctum of English cricket now, so you'll know some privy conversations.”
Freddie discusses his journey post-cricket and the challenges of finding new passions.
“and you've got your coaching, you might have one other thing.”
The discussion dives deep into resilience, failure, and the mentality needed in cricket.
“and you don't That's the thing, you watch these lads bat, and I almost forgot that I played, because you watch them and you sit there in amazement.”
Freddie shares insights on coaching and the significance of giving opportunities to young players.
“leaving but then you get them that throws things and kick things oh there was a lot of throwers oh Nasser Jesus Nasser Christ what the hell yeah now the youngsters not much But it's got to be that.”

Get the gist, explore an idea or ask about something said.
On Stick to Cricket, what are the key points of this episode?
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.
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2:08Where's Fred going?
2:09Michael Vaughan: Fred goes at the end, so guests are always here and you're always in the same Oh, hello, we've now progressed to tomato and charcuterie. It's night time now, Phil. How is it night? It's night time now. We go day to night. Kieran. Oh, we've got... It's on its way. I'll have a latte if there's one. Latte, yeah. Thank you. I wouldn't mind a latte. No, what are we... You're watching a white coffee. White coffee, lovely. What do we call... Oh, we've got sweets now, look at that. I thought it was charcuterie. Look at it Swiss rolls Swiss rolls It's sweets Look at this It's sweets I thought it was a bit of Howard It's a bit of Battenberg isn't it What about if it's not the overlap the overthrow The overthrow Yeah Oh The overthrow Yeah You'd have known Jim Bowie wouldn't you I've seen Jim Yeah Schoolmaster What's the tune
3:08Michael Vaughan: That's how it goes isn't it? What's that? Bullseye. Theme music. Can't beat a bit of bully. Can't beat a bit of bully. But Freddie doesn't do it. The presenter doesn't do that, does he? That was Tony Green. Tony Green. Who's having a Rosie? No, I'm good. I'm having a coffee. Not another speedboat, is it? Can't beat a bit of bully. I'll do all of it. Not all of them. Can't beat a bit of bully. What was his name, Bowen, wasn't it? Jim Bowen. He was adopted. He was adopted. Bowen was his wife's name, and he was called Pete Williams, which is exactly the same name as Robbie Williams' dad. Robbie Williams' dad were a proper left-time spinner.
3:57Michael Vaughan: Was he? Probably what? Robbie Williams' dad. That's right. Was he a big turner? He's a singer, not the little actor. Did he bowl a dozer? That is correct. He used to get a rosy. He played top-class league cricket, Staffordshire League, against Gary Sobers and Wesley Hall and all them. All right. Rory Keating's that good keeper. Rory Keating. Yeah. Everyone, Sir Reddison? No, I'm actually having a look. We've just been talking bullseye. Yeah, I'm back on that. Have you got all the sayings? I've got them. Keep out the black and the red. You should have done it, not me. I was absolutely mortified when you got that job.
4:38Michael Vaughan: He's a proper player. He can play dart. He's died. I was in with the army, wasn't it, on tour? So me and army... Steve Armour's little bag. And army never took kit. He just took his dartboard. He didn't set pads and arms. He's bored. Seriously, anyone got a bat? He used to borrow kit. He had a dartboard, an hockey, and about 10 ,000 minstrels in his bag. He used to come in. Well, I'll tell that first ever talk. Pakistan. You can tell now. This is the show. Oh, we're on. That's where we're on. All right. But he was responsible for me getting into darts. Never throwing an arrow ever. And then I turned up to Pakistan in 2005.
5:14You were skipper. And Strauss was going home, wasn't he, on the end of the third, for the third test match. And your knee was a little bit sore. This one showed up as bowling speed of light. That's where my knee was sore. That's when I got the hospital pass.
5:29Michael Vaughan: Didn't tell me that one night. You're captain, though. You played all three games. I'm in school for my last two. Yeah, so you played and I was like, it was touch and go as I was going to play. Anyway, so I literally put my, I flew in the day before the game, didn't know anyone. This is when you guys all... Oh, shit. Yeah, wicked keeper. You guys were all like, obviously superstars when I was five, didn't know anything because I played a new belly in Matt Pratt. Anyway, put my door in, opened the door, and I was literally knocking on the door, literally 30 seconds later, Harmy, come next door.
5:59So there it was, Fred and Harmy, sharing rooms, and apparently because you were scared of the dark, but I don't believe that was true. And it was... Literally, it was the Harms and Arms. It was just dartboard. Harmy had no kit whatsoever. Full of DVDs, open-air hours, only falls and horses. Back at it. You're screwed of it as well. Back at it. It was literally like Northern Pub and literally all I did for three weeks was just learn to play darts. And then it started off and then when Harmy left the team, I then took the dartboard and played.
6:31Michael Vaughan: Harmy travelled to New Zealand. and we had the same bat sponsor. So I was with Gunnar Maw and I always remember him knocking on my door the night before the first test saying, Skip, can I borrow your pads tomorrow? I went, what do you mean? He said, no, I brought my pads. I said, what, he brought that fucking dartboard? And an oki. Everything, wasn't it? No pads, only gloves and bowling boots and one bat. That's not preparation, is it? That's the best thing about Army. Now he goes on telly saying they don't prepare. LAUGHTER There you go. He's got drugs gone. He didn't take any pads with you, boy.
7:09Michael Vaughan: Come on. He's not had an outstanding. He's fine. Kevin Peterson flew in at them, didn't he? Saying they're playing golf and they're not preparing. He flew in at it. And they've refuted it. They said, no, that doesn't happen. Of course we practised. Well, yeah, but we all used to encourage us to sort of... Get away. Get away from the pressure of the game. That's it, get away. we went on that. What did you do, Phil? That boat that we went on. How did you release yourself from the pressure? There was something called the Jolly Roger. Was it? That fellow with all the money. Like a pirate shit. In with all the money, Cap.
7:46Michael Vaughan: In with all the money. John Getty. John Paul Getty. Oh, we went on his boat. What a boat. We went on that boat with the three funnels. That's it. It was like something out of, what was it, Death on the Nile. It was brilliant. Oh, it was amazing. They're out on John Paul Getty's boat. and he had these, like, jet skis that go and zzzz, and dropped into... Mark Elam got one, run it straight into a rock, and it sunk. Yeah. He said, all right, we'll get another. We went on there, and we've gone in there, and they're all very lovely, lovely, lovely. But they said, champagne, champagne. And I said, oh, listen, I hope you've got a little bit of that, mate, because the boys might be a bit thirsty, you know what I mean?
8:23Michael Vaughan: He said, well, follow me, follow me. He took me down into the bowels of it, opened the door. there was about 4 ,000 bottles of Dom Perignon and he said, I don't even think you could drink that, Mr Tuff. Talitha G. It was called the Talitha G. What, the boat? Yeah. Yeah, it was amazing. Talitha G. And that was his first wife, Talitha. Yeah. John Paul Getty. Talitha Getty. I think Thorpey fainted or something and we all got on the boat or something. Who did? I can't remember. Did you win on this tour? No.
9:02He came round the house to sign us. Yeah. He says, look, at Lancashire we pay really well. Michael Atherton gets 22 and a half grand. Now look at me, we're going to start Andrew on two and a half. I nearly joined the WWE.
9:17Michael Vaughan: Did you? Yeah, I didn't want to box. What were you doing, Big Cole? Big Fred. You can't treat them all the same, they're all different. and put your arm round him and give Goffy a bit of a belt. You know, in cricket I got up here and I got down here. I wouldn't say I felt comfortable down here. When you got to the top, it was like, sure, it's better than this. Do you think they're on the right pathway to being really competitive down in Australia? I don't know why to be shouting, because he said he can catch pigeons. Throw him a pigeon!
9:53Michael Vaughan: Fred, how are you? I'm good. How are you, mate? How are you, brother? Thanks for coming on. Let's start with this man. Right at the start of your... I don't think it was right at the start when you started cricket, but early stages in your career, he got hold of you. Not literally. Not literally. And he was your first real coach. Is that correct? Yeah, I started off my dad. So my dad, like, youth influence. Colin. Big hands. Big hands. Dropped me in the crowd against the West Indies. He did. Ended up travelling around your mum's lap trying to get the ball. and then I had coaches a fella called Jim Kenyon who was around Lancashire East Lancashire great man he helped me turn from a schoolboy cricketer to one who could play with men's cricket John Stanworth, Stanley and then Bumble he picked me everywhere he went he picked me for under 19 he gave me a contract at Lancashire picked me for England he's probably I don't want to embarrass him but probably will probably one of the biggest influences in my career he saw this young lad who was quite insecure, not sure of himself.
10:57And he just backed me so much that eventually it started rubbing off a little bit.
11:01Michael Vaughan: What about with Wazim? So I got him into length team. I said, shove him at second slip, catch everything. What age was he when you first saw him? 14, 15. He came round the house to sign us. Yeah, best china in front room. Colin and Sue on the sofa. We got the china out for him. He came round and it was him and Geoff Ogden. He was a cricket chairman. Cricket chairman. He was involved at worst, a cricket club. Yeah, so it's a big thing. They've got David Lloyds coming round to the house in Preston. So we had two rooms. The back room, which we sat in, and we had the front room with a posher couch and a better telly that we never allowed in.
11:39So we're going in that room because Bumble's coming, and my mum put a teapot on and got the best cups and saucers out. Biscuits. Or Jolly Dodgers and custard creams. We were pushing the boat out, and he sat there. I can remember it now. I'm just sat there looking. And all the family were just like looking at him. He's like, how's he in our house?
11:56Michael Vaughan: But I went to watch him against, he was playing St Ants, so he'd be 14, 15, and opened the bowling for opposition. He's Malcolm Marshall. So I sat down and he cleaned him up at first over. Right, we'll go on there. He went well through it. But he came in, he said, right, we want to sign your Andrew. And I'm like, mum and dad are like, oh, here we go, look at this. And he starts talking about money. he says look at Lancashire we pay really well you know Ian Austin gets 16 grand a year and I'm looking at me dad like this come on 16 grand and he goes Michael Atherton gets 22 and a half grand and I'm looking at me dad like we're going to start Andrew on two and a half I'm like go on get it and then he sold my mum and dad this dream of me I never forget I went into Old Trafford a few weeks later it was all going through he said never mind what I told you mum and dad it's fucking hard of you
12:53Michael Vaughan: but yeah happy days when he his second slip who was him he'll catch everything no just shove him in there you've got arms like buckets the first two went down like this was him who is this Freddie he stuffed me out of sight I'd never seen Pace like it the second slip and he's moved out Neil Furbrother or somebody else from months ago get out of there yeah he catches three before lunch had dropped and I was him shouting because he said he can catch pigeons throw him a pigeon
13:28how good was he he's one of the greats just as a man just as a man he took me under his wing a little bit when I was younger he would do a 17 year old dad he invited me to a barbecue his house in Old Tringham he's still got I thought it was a team it was just me you know I'm sat in a garden with a wasi macram It was bonkers.
13:49Michael Vaughan: He used to jump out, didn't he? He used to jump out. I played against him at the Oval. He used to, he's groaning. He'd come running in, and an old uncle's gone play, and I've gone, I can't see anyone. I can't see anyone. All of a sudden, he just popped out like that, and I've got to trick it out there. And he was around the wicket. Yeah, around the wicket. He used to struggle with his groin, because his back leg would land like that, and so he'd stretch this groin all the time. That's where he had a problem. I used to stand it, it slipped to him. He was like the best seat in the house, and you knew if the ball was coming, how he put his hand up.
14:19Right. And then when he wraps his hand round it, he just stood up. It's not coming to me, he's just going to clean them up. And then he showed me seam positions. And it was just so simple, just moving your thumb about to change the seam position. It was just your thumb that just squared your wrist up or moved your wrist. Yeah. And then showed me how to reverse swing it as well. Yeah.
14:36Michael Vaughan: Bumble, what did you see? And the first time you saw him, what were you thinking? Well, you don't discover somebody like him. He's in the swimmer things and schools. and Geoff Ogden, who was our cricket chairman at that time, was right in the mix of schools cricket, so we knew we were coming through and we wanted him to come to us. Don't forget, he was a big lad. Were you 17 when you made your debut or 16? I don't know, 17 first class. I think I played against a Nat West game at 16. Yeah. I batted me 10, I was good. What were you doing, Dan? 10! Who were captain, Winker? Winker, yeah. He got the first wicket.
15:15He took an absolute screamer at mid-off. Winker caught it. Did it, right. And then he said, this is what we do here.
15:23Michael Vaughan: He were a good bloat, Winker. I used to like him. Great man. He was good cricket, didn't he? But then we had the bulbous one. Don't PS bat. Didn't we? We had the bulbous one. Bulbous. Bully, Ian Austin. Oh, get me out for fun. I'll be bold. So, you know, I don't know whether they do it now. who you'll know from what you're doing now. Like, you remember when you had a drink at the end of a day's play on the club, you used to... Yeah. You had a glass of lager, a milk, or a this and that. And the 12th was running around the list. That's it. You had to go down there. The 12th man went around with the list.
15:57Michael Vaughan: The Bulbas one, I'll have a bottle of Chardonnay. And he'd drink it before he went home. And he'd moan like hell about everybody. He was a great lad. Never got injured. Never. Never ever got injured. Now they were grand lads. What was he like as a coach? You played under him. I did. That's what I'll let you both answer. For me, incredible, because the one thing he did, and it's something I try and do now, because you think of all the coaches you work with and think the best bits of all of them and try and apply it to what you do. And I think with Bombo, it was just that unwavering backing of him.
16:35Michael Vaughan: Yep. You know what I mean? That confidence he gives you. So I was young when I was in a man's world. I was surrounded by international cricketers at Lancashire. And then having him there, who was constantly giving me confidence to do things, just wore off on me eventually. I'm the technical coach. I thought if they're playing for England, surely they know how to hold it. You would have thought so. There's a few theories on that. We did, straight away. I got told when I took the job, stay away from him, bad news. So, thanks so much. Who said that? Me, Mrs? Which one? Atherton. Atherton are back into the hill all the time.
17:13Michael Vaughan: So you don't tell him what he's doing. What do you want to do? It was a little breath of fresh air, actually. What do you want to do? A little breath of fresh air. See, Iliad Dunning, and he would dour. You liked Jerusalem being played, didn't you, in the dressing room? Yeah. Only a little bit. Only a little bit of it. I was in the dressing room when you were doing that. I had 12th man for England when I was 17. Me and me met Paddy. Got you in again, didn't he? Oh, you were in dressing room. It's a lot of expenses. Regent's Park Marriott, me and Paddy in London, get in. I had to do all the 12th man in that week, and it was incredible, because he had, at the time, he was playing all the videos and the music and the players in the dressing room, which gets done again now.
17:53So he's doing that, and I had to wait on all the players. And Jack Russell, because at lunch was at quarter past one, and he comes up to me and says, right, I got my wheat a bit. I said, all right, Jack, yeah. he says what you've got to do is you put him in milk at four minutes past one so quarter past one when I come off they're perfect did it the first day India batted two days forgotten the second day I put him in at 11 minutes past he came off I give him these Weetabix and he's just looking at them he says what time did you put them in oh no I said four minutes past one Jack he started doing this one
18:28Michael Vaughan: he's checking the deck they went in at 11 minutes past one didn't they I said yes Jack can you just wait six minutes it.
18:38And then I went on to field and I was so nervous and as I'm running on a streaker came on. I was 17 I'd never seen anything like it. He's like this naked woman run past me. Oh woman? Yeah, he's like wow.
18:59Michael Vaughan: What about it's great to see you back in cricket Fred. Yeah, we all agree on that. It's great to see you around the game. If you said, what kind of coach are you? Hopefully a good one. But you said you're going to try and grab everything of all the coaches that you've worked on. How would you describe yourself as a coach now? I'm probably... If I had a coach years ago, I think I'd be completely different now. I've always had this itch to scratch when it came to coaching, but what, finished playing at 31? One, I don't think I'd have got a job. two, I don't think I've been any good and even five years ago I think I'd have been a bit more like Neil Warner because I'm shouting and screaming and now I'm pretty chilled one of the things is, don't get me wrong I like the technical side of the game but I've got people around me for that so I've got Neil Killian who's a great technician at Bowling Neil McKenzie, best batting coach I've ever seen, Sir Retail doing the keeping in the field Ed Barney, great partnership with him as a performance director so it allows me just to I like talking to the lads you get to know them as people and I think only once you do that can you start coaching them so for me it's like one thing which is a prerequisite we work hard we enjoy it we're respectful and I genuinely think a lot of these lads now and Alistair you probably think the same they put so much pressure on themselves you know what I mean it's like taking the pressure off them you know I hate it when people say they don't want it enough or they don't try it's the complete opposite.
20:32Wanted too much? Too much, too much and I've had experience that with my own boys as well and I think doing Field of Dreams was a big help you know I had a group of lads who you know from autism, ADHD, behavioural problems all with really specific needs. I think it taught me a lot about how a team can run.
20:51Michael Vaughan: Yeah, interesting that because when I played a little bit I was sort of like called a character or a maverick. you had exactly the same and I can remember when you retired oh Flintoff he'll be the last of the characters of the game do you know what I mean? Did you ever work out what they were talking about? A bit of a knobhead I think That's what I'll come up with Yeah he's a character thanks for that I like people's characters I want them to shine through in dressing rooms that's the one thing we've got which is unique to ourselves and I genuinely think if you're watching a player on form doing well the traits of his personality you can see within the game and I love that so if you feel salt when he's batting you just see salt he's up and at him he's coming at you and there's so many examples of that so I encourage the lads to be themselves I think the hardest thing about coaches you talk about the bounce of getting to know people back when you started obviously Bumble almost when I started all of us actually we were a lot of tell me coaches weren't they The coaches will tell you what to do, and now it's very much the player learns.
21:59However, the player has to learn for himself. I find that balance really hard because if you look like Freddie there, you have to be able to tell a player something. But if you don't, players react so badly to that, I think. I think they're better now. I think they're better. I think in a dressing room, the characters are very different. I think they're a lot nicer. The dressing room is a great place to be, and I enjoy being in there. But when it comes to these lads, for me, I want them to compete. Sometimes I think we forget about the wrong end. You know what I mean? You speak to some balls and they're telling you where your arms and leg goes.
22:35And you say, hang on a minute, I'm more interested in how you get it down that side. As batters, we get wrapped up. I saw some of the Indians play over the past two weeks, and they play the game. You know what I mean? They're playing what comes at them. They're playing a condition. They're playing a surface. Where are they looking to hit the ball? I think sometimes we're just so technical and get wrapped up in technique. But technique is so important, though, isn't it? Yeah, the foundations, of course. I'm not saying it's not technique. When you're out of Nick, when you're in Nick... Yeah. The margins are very small.
23:07But what I was saying, Fred's obviously coming from quite a strange... Not a strange place, but obviously... He's at it again, isn't he? You know what I mean? He's on TNT. You know, I'm talking about strangers from a coaching point of view. Like, you haven't been in the game for a while. and actually then do you see it differently to other people? I don't mean strange in that, but someone's just so fresh to it and actually has a slightly different thing from all the badges, which the badges are important. I've just finished my third one. You're learning, I don't. You're a level three coach. I think so, I'm waiting for a certificate.
23:41You don't have to be passed. Yeah, I've been doing my coach development over the past seven months. So I think I've got through it. I had to fill a form in the other day. Do you think it's important or your experience of what you've achieved in your life,
23:55Michael Vaughan: surely that counts? I think it is doing now. I think I've learned some things doing the coach development about setting up sessions or what type of coach I want to be. So when you're going through it, I think you learn things about yourself. But I genuinely think taking a step back from cricket has helped. You go out into the world and it's a very different place. And you come back into it. One, you're so grateful for the game. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. You come back into it, you think, why have I not been here for so long?
24:26Therapy's biggest impact doesn't show up in some dramatic breakthrough. It shows up in the smallest moments. You bite your tongue instead of escalating. You put your phone down instead of firing off that text. You say what you actually mean instead of what would hurt someone else the most. Nobody applauds those moments, but they quietly change your life. That's what growing feels like. And that's exactly what Grow Therapy is here for. Grow is therapy that works, covered by insurance. Sessions average$21 with insurance and some pay as little as$0 depending on their plan. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments.
25:03You just pay per session. Grow connects you with thousands of high-quality licensed therapists across the U.S. offering both virtual and in-person sessions, nights and weekends. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability. And you can book a therapy session in minutes and begin in as little as two days, not the national 48-day average. See if you could pay as little as$0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com slash start now. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.
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26:18Michael Vaughan: You had to finish because of injury, so you're unfulfilled. Yeah. You wanted to play for another four or five years. I fell out with it. Fell out with it. I did. You reacted to it. I genuinely thought that my best years were in front of me at 31. There you go. Especially as a bowler, I'd just found it. I was bowing quickest I've ever bowled. Frustration. Yeah, my batting was coming back, even though it was taking a time. I thought, actually, these next three years are my years. And I never got that, so I couldn't be around it. Because you know what it's like when you retire. Everything moves on and you're left behind.
26:52And it's not a criticism, that's just how it is. And I couldn't watch cricket, I didn't want to be around it. You just avoid it at all costs because of that? Kind of. So we moved to Dubai, didn't we? So the plan was, I was going to play in IPL, and I was going to play for Brisbane, and base ourselves in Dubai. and unashamedly if I could earn a bit of IPL money tax free I'm sorted you know what I mean so then when I had to retire we decided to go through with it anyway and it was probably a good move actually because I got myself away my lifestyle wasn't great at the time but I just hid for a bit and then started to think what am I going to do now and some of the TV offers started coming which was never the plan really I stumbled into that you had a box I nearly joined the WWE I didn't want to box that was never the plan so what were you being called Big Fred
27:52that went down the line who was that bloke Richard Dawson undefeated he'd been shot four times he'd been in prison tough in Preston
28:02Michael Vaughan: so what happened was he got to a point in Dubai were I was unfit, I'd put weight on, I was just not in a good place. And I wanted to get fit again, but I needed, like, a motivation. So as a kid, I loved WWE. So I came up with this idea, because I was doing League of the Romy Sky, to fight The Undertaker in Manchester. See? Why is it, you know, you're The Undertaker with big heart, ooh, these fellas walking behind, yeah. So I wrote this treatment up, as you do in TV, so you write an idea up and you present it. So I wrote it up and presented it to Sky. They lived it, right? So this started gathering momentum.
28:45Next minute, it's been passed on to WWE. I'm in contact with WWE. What, Vince McMahon? Yeah. So I'm in with these. Good shit. I know my wrestling. So I'm in there. I thought, right, I better get fit. So Dave Roberts Rooster, who is a physio through my career, who lived with us and looked after us, I said can you send a trainer over to Dubai for six weeks I need to bulk up so he sent this fella over trained me nuts off, got fit and then the WWE flew me to Tampa so me and the missus have gone over to Tampa, I've got two weeks at Wrestling Academy this is true story Bing Daddy so we go over I say Shirley Crabtree
29:29Michael Vaughan: Shirley Crabtree the flyers over from Dubai to Tampa on business class and then we get there Limo picks us up checks us to the hotel next morning Mrs. L come with us alright so we get in the car we go to WWE's academy it's like two massive units all branded and I'm sat in the car and these things are walking past me they're like six foot eight seven foot monsters at Mrs. are you alright with this? I said yeah I'll be fine so I walked in and then the first day nobody liked me because it's really competitive there's like 60 of them all want a contract with WWE and this English lad's walked in. So I go in and we do the warm-ups and then they put me in the ring.
30:11For three hours tough as I ran the ropes, I went... And then I just run into someone and they throw me. So then we stopped for lunch. After lunch, I'm in the middle and now they're running at me. And then I started running the rings again. I got so tired, right? I had to jump under this lad's legs. I'm going I could lift my head I went straight through the apron I smacked my face my nose went legs akimbo and then the second day I went I had lashes all down my back I was just getting beaten up left right and centre and the missus are you alright with us yeah so the second day I was sore so I'm thinking something's not right here so I said to this physio I think I'm having a back spasm so they're all going oh the English has got a back spasm so they put me on the couch So he's pushing me.
31:02I can feel my ribs separating. I said, man, I think I broke my ribs. He said, well, you'd be in so much pain. I said, I want to cry, but I can't in there. So I went for an x-ray. This fellow, he puts it up, American. He says, what do you do? I said, I'm a wrestler. He said, how long have you been doing it? I said, two days. So we did all that. Third day, you do acting lessons, but I didn't think I was in on it. So I'm just sat in the studio watching them go through the routine. they've got two minutes so I'm just sat minding my own business and they go Fred you're up what do you mean so I've got up I've got the microphone in my hand saying hello I don't like that can I do another so I just looked out there's all these weird and wonderful looking people and just tore them all a new one they're trying to wire me up after two minutes I go I've not finished I've not finished sat down nothing and then we went on holiday to Miami and two weeks later I got an email from WWE saying you can't do your documentary because you'll give the secrets away but we want to put you on a three year contract so we'll fast track you in 18 months you'll be at Wrestlemania you'll be at Brumbo I'm thinking you are and the money was obscene was it?
32:15was it like Bumble's first contract? well yeah not far off but we wanted to move back from Dubai at the time and the kids wanted to play cricket didn't want to move to America so then I just changed it actually to boxing so I had a fight a boxing You could, hadn't you?
32:31Michael Vaughan: You got the confidence. You're defeated. Undefeated, me and Mayweather. Four in Manchester. Eh? About 10 ,000 people. Can you imagine? Eh? Against the Undertaker. Big lad, though, didn't he? Big lad. You'd have had the... What's it? The sleeper or something, innit? Or something, what is it? I'd have to have a finishing move. You'd have had to get up on the corner post and splash up. Your body fell apart bowling. Imagine jumping off the rings. That's interesting, actually. It's interesting, we're just talking about the telly and everything. From one king of the jungle to another. Oh, well, congrats.
33:05Michael Vaughan: Oh, Christ, yeah. Were you offered to do... We both did it in Aussie, but mine went on English telly. Yeah, I did the Aussie version. Why was that? Did they offer you to do the English one? They did. I think they did back in the day, but... Yeah, we choose to do the Aussie one. You don't watch it here. working out in Australia is perfect on the side of the world no one sees it what did you think of that? easiest month of my life absolutely no fun just sat there snakes and spiders they're TV snakes aren't they? they're safe as houses spiders? all the crocodiles have had their teeth balled out it's like an elf farm one more lost 10 cares, caught up on my sleep you'd be good at that bumble yeah in the jungle it's alright yeah Merv Hughes was in there big Merv big Merv sat next to Merv for 12 hours a day he's incredible he's a top man I used to love Merv Hughes we used to love watching him ball Tash and I was sat with him for three weeks I didn't like facing him he weren't quick though was he well no but he was just aggressive he was aggressive yeah he used to have a little nickname for me when I walked out of bed he used to call me target practice.
34:35Michael Vaughan: So coaching, Fred, I mean, you're obviously enjoying it. Yeah, I love it. Is it? I mean, you've done so much. I know you've obviously had your recent past, which, you know, the accidents all over your show, which is emotional to watch. Yeah, good. But in terms of what you've done since you were 31, is coaching up there with the most enjoyable not by far really there's nothing nothing comes close to be honest with you I genuinely don't see it as a job it's like a privilege I'm in a dressing room working with England's best young players yep and the great kids you know over the winter you know Sonny Berker giving him a debut in Australia somebody let him go you know Eddie Jack last week fast forward Eddie Jack his first week he's got KL Ralu you know give him a debut do you get nervous watching because I was a terrible watcher as a captain and a player because you lost control and as a coach you're invested aren't you yeah on the surface you're quite calm but you just want these lads to do so well I think with the role that I've got now it's obviously we want to win but that's something I never really talk about because you get a group you get a team together I just take it for granted everybody wants to win you know I'm more interested in how we play how we go about things and these lads are different wins along the way you know what I mean for me if some of these lads play for England that's a win you know what I mean it's not just about the game do you think you're seeing traits now of people because I think one of the hardest things is spotting someone who's 16, 17, 18 to work out how good they're going to be I saw Rooty at 17 and yes I thought he'll play for England never thought it'd be what he's become but you can always tell something like Joss Butler I saw Joss Butler I was like God he's got something different can you spot stuff like and are you looking for as a coach because your job is probably under 19 and England Lions coach is to tell Brendan this guy's got something yeah but even before that so you work with him in the 19s as well one of the benefits I've had is because through my own boys I've seen a lot of these kids from 12 year olds and seen them progress and born a bit same with Arch so seeing these lads come through even like to the point of you we pick you when we give you your debut in India and when you came to Pakistan I remember speaking to Duncan one of the few times you know it was like there was something about you when you came to Pakistan one as a player one as a person we thought was going to be incredible but can you see that in the ones you're coaching now yeah you can yeah you'd like to think so I find that so hard you're not going to get them all right the perfect example is Eddie Jacks picked him for the Lions not played for Hampshire first class he's now with England at Headingley and I guess that's on what you've seen reporting back into Brendan kind of so he's again he's been with the under 19s so I saw him two years ago when the boys were playing down at Hove and he was this big strong kid and then we've seen him develop probably over the past year or so and then couldn't understand for the life of me why he's not playing so we played him against Zimbabwe in the first class counties game which was a brilliant game we had like young Rue playing and everyone who was just outside first team Adder's his lad lovely player lovely lad as well he's like his dad every ten Red Bulls he's all over the place so yeah Eddie he impressed so much you know you watched him bowl and there's this big 19 year old strong fast bowler what pace are we talking yeah 90s wait it's a hard one with a pace now because well it's not a hard one you've got the guns we use and the guns on TV and they're all slightly different but top end he's up at 87, 88 what yeah he's a 19 year old kid he holds it he's a big strong fit lad and his attitude is just incredible.
38:18He comes in every morning, so excited.
38:20Michael Vaughan: So you've seen yourself? Yeah, he's got a far better action. But, you know, in my head that I was so smooth, it was like my shoelaces running together and a T-Rex coming. But I think as well with, one of the things that's helped as well is having some life experience. I've tried to do it every which way as a cricketer as well. You know, I was fit, I was unfit, I was hard work, I was better. and I think having been like that you can draw from your own experiences as well and see things in other people like Tuffler says before about characters I love characters I love Mavericks but you've got in a team say 16, 18 you've all different characters but I never quite understood what it was you can't what does it mean does it mean you're staying at you go a bit half past nine and you go out what was that way was I mean somebody like Graham Thorpe yes say nothing yeah He wouldn't say anything in the room.
39:17Michael Vaughan: Somebody like Dominic Corr could be all over the place. Ian Botham, all over the place. And so you've got all different people. That's what you've brought, actually. You can't treat them all the same. They're all different. And so, you know, you put your arm round him and give Goffy a bit of a belt and there's no problem. Does that still work, innit? Does that still, you know, different strokes for different folks? Yeah, definitely. If you think about it, you've got a group of lads put together. the only thing you've got in common is they're good at cricket. You're going to get all different characters.
39:48Some are going to be close, mate. Some are going to get on really well. You'll have teammates. Some won't like each other. It doesn't matter. As long as they've all got a common goal and they're all respectful of each other and working together, that's fine.
40:01Michael Vaughan: One other thing I've just got to ask quickly, we've got a couple of coaches here, and we had it a lot of times. You always used to sit on the balcony, didn't you, with a book and write things in it. What was in that book? I tried it You'd have been doodling You can instantly watch any game now can't you? Anywhere in the country you can see what's happening So that book, so this is the 90s this is a long time ago Is it scoring? No So we have our team meetings and where are we going to ball and so we're going to ball off stump the top of off stump I'd write down every delivery of the first six overs they've bowled.
40:45Michael Vaughan: Oh, right. So, Alan Mulally, there's four gone down the leg side and he couldn't fucking reach half of them. So, where's the top of off stump? To which Mulally said, well, they're going at six and off at the other end, I've got to drag it back from this end. So, that's what I'm writing down. I've always wondered. Wide down the leg side, full outside off stump, four, and then give it to them at the end of that session. But now it's all done on the old Ootski. I tried it so I did the T20 stuff with England at Edgbaston with Motti great man I noticed everyone's got a book so I'm waiting to sit ground I stopped at Tesco Metro and got a pucker pad and I'm sat there with his pad and he's not drawing pictures of Johnny Burstall it's everything you need you know we've got analysts now and that's one thing I'm actually really learning you know there's a great man called Staff Professor Staff Murray who runs the analyst and we just got Cunny who was at Knott's and I'm picking his brands and seeing how we use the analytics a bit more.
41:46You know, you say this Jack's lad, I actually haven't seen him bowl, but hasn't played at all for Hampshire. How is the connection between what you're trying to do and what the counties are trying to do? We had a little discussion about Bethel, didn't we? Like, should he be batting for three for England? But you're looking at Warwickshire. He's good, isn't he? Well, I mean, everyone said he's good and yet... Do you not agree? No, I haven't seen enough of him close up, but all good characters have said he's a really good player. But again, in stats... First class home. Hasn't got a first class home, which gets to me.
42:13Like, it does. I don't know, look at you. Everyone, but batters got to score hundreds. I don't give a fine money for every day. No matter how long it takes them. Get the book out. Put it in the book. But, like, so Bethel, at Warwickshire, nowhere near batting the top order. And yet, in England, he batted the throat. And then you've got Jax, you're, like, you just look, I obviously haven't seen him bowl. He's saying, God, he's going to be brilliant. And yet, nowhere near Hampshire. Do you think, how is that connection, like, between the counties? We speak, you know, you speak to the DLCs, you speak to the coaches.
42:43You know, I think the chat was he's got a chance of playing in the Blast and now he's in the frame for the four-day stuff. You know, Dan Mousley as well, we've had him not playing at Warwickshire, scored 150-odd against Zimbabwe. And then we took him for the India game, scored an amazing first-class 100. So you've got to back your own judgment as well, Koki, you know what I mean? There's certain lads, in the winter we took, Cook, you know, mate? Yeah. Great lad, great bowler. You know, he's been knocking on the door and he's done playing county cricket for years. He came along with us. I thought you got, everyone was trying to say, well, he won't bowl the kookaburl in Australia.
43:22You need to fill your glass up, Cook. No, no, that's what I thought it was. I thought it was literally picking him because trying to make it as hard as he could. You think I'm going to take a lad to Australia who averages less than 20 in first class cricket for him to fail? Yeah, I thought it was, I don't think he would fail. Seriously, that's on you, not us. No, I agree. I was thinking, because he could have played in all these other A games and they never picked him, and all these other people were playing, and then I saw him go to Australia, and it's like, Corey, you're making it really hard.
43:49I've seen him on going, this bloke, if he plays for England over a period of time, he's going to do really well. He's good. And I'm so pleased he did in Australia, but actually, I don't care, because the development of him learning to bowl the cooker at ball and proving to people he can do it, that's what you want as a character.
44:02Michael Vaughan: I mean, the most important thing is enthusiasm in anything that you do. I can see straight away that you're incredibly enthusiastic about being a coach, trying to improve the next generation. And I'm going down the line. So Baz McCollum, he's got a contract until 27, he's doing a great job. Do you see yourself, would you like to be in a position, if Baz goes, you know what, my time's done with England, to take on the big role, which is... I'll be honest with you, it's not something I'm looking at. at this, you know, Baz McCollum is incredible. I think best, obviously, present company accepted.
44:37Best England coach. He's unbelievable. The culture he's created and the way in which England play, how they work, how they are as people. It's similar to what I think Southgate did with the football lads. Not just good players, but great lads as well they are. And I'm enjoying, obviously, I work on the Keezy, which you know he's one of my best mates and helped me so much in other things and Baz have got a great relationship and obviously the utmost respect but honestly at the moment I feel I'm in the perfect place you know working with the Lions I don't see this as a stepping stone to anything else I'm invested in this I get a chance to work with these lads you know I'm not working at franchise world or anything else although I do the superchargers which came around last year and I enjoy working with Harry on that.
45:28He's incredible. But I don't see it as, you know, I've been guilty, I think, in the TV world and post-retirement, always looking for the next thing, almost looking for the next thing, chasing things. Well, I'm actually really happy, Vornay. You know, I work with these young lads, great staff around me. I think I've got a job to do with. It's not like, what's next? How many days a year is it? It's a lot now. Well, when I went for the job, I went for the CV and do all the stuff and I did interviews. Like, first job interview, really. Apart from Woolworths. Do you have to present?
46:01Michael Vaughan: Do you have to present something off a laptop? No, no. Just questions, HR questions and things, yeah. And not at any other job interview. I was at Woolworths when I was 16. I worked there in the first winter when I was at Langs. And there was three roles. There was the trip to South Africa, which was the camp, which actually was out there. And then there's the camp and the trip to Australia. And then there was a year-round role. I only went for a camp initially and then got asked if I'd be interested in the year. And, yeah, I was, but I'm not employed. So I do it on a day rate, which suits me, suits them.
46:43But it doesn't mean I'm not invested because I think what I will do is I'll take probably a bullseye once a year or maybe one other job just to pay me bills. and then doing that allows me to do the coaching, which I really enjoy. Oh, I love the speedboat, is it? Do they still give speedboats? We had one in the studio last time. Absolutely brilliant.
47:05Michael Vaughan: Nice, though. I love a speedboat. Not like this thing that Jim Bowen had. Oh, well, no. Tony Green. Yeah.
47:17Michael Vaughan: You've won seven quid. I'll just count this out. We'll be back after this break. it doesn't get any better. Fantastic. What about, I mean, you're in the inner sanctum of English cricket now, so you'll know some privy conversations. This will go out after the first test against India. So they'll have four tests and then the Ashes. Do you think they're on the right pathway to being really competitive down in Australia? Yeah. You look at the side we've got. My experience or two in Australia, you handed me the caps into there, thanks for that much. Sent us down to pan five. I never passed that one.
47:55It really was. We've both done five. Have you done a five? Yeah. Congrats. You'll be coaching the line soon. We've been charged. Give me a few more years. We always used to win what? Yeah, you've got to be... I've just watched that Test Championship final. I thought it was incredible. Yeah, great. It was a good one. But you look at it, they're a good side, aren't they? You look at a ball and attack. Come in, start, there's a one, and line. And, you know, I think the baton...
48:25Michael Vaughan: Bolland, Bolland. He's all right, isn't he? What if they get injured? What have they got? Anything coming in? That's what you hope, isn't it, love? You're an England fan. I think if England are... If Australia are fully fair, I think England are... You know, you'd put Australia favourites. But you saw take Lyon out of that side in the last series. Actually, and these England players play well against this Australian... Yeah. Cummings... I keep going. Well, I keep going. Everyone's like, listen to me. Cummings averaged 37 against England in that series. But Bowling was a 50 going at five, six runs and over.
49:00Now, these guys aren't used to batsmen going after them.
49:05Michael Vaughan: It's the first Aussie batting line-up that I've looked at. And Smith's still got it. If you took, and I know he's going to be there, but if you took Smith out of the batting line-up, it's a batting line-up you wouldn't mind having a go at. Travers can give it up. Smith will hold the key at number four. hasn't he just said that Coad just stays till after the ashes and they probably leave Labashane out yeah he ain't got a run so they need an opener and that is at Costas Constas yeah Costa
49:41Michael Vaughan: what's his name he was reverse you were right the first time Costas our batting's strong though isn't it Crowley and Duckett you watch Duckett ball I'm sorry batting I had success against left-handers I think he'd be a nightmare just the way in which he hits the ball he comes down he's incredible he's just getting better and better Crowley you've got them two you've got him coming down Crowley top of the bounce so he's batting three then I'm not picking it we added him out I've picked Vettel Alistair's picking I'm starting with both here I think everything's going to unfold over the next few weeks.
50:18These things have a way of sorting themselves out, wouldn't they? It's going to be a belt in nine months. It's going to be incredible in India than Australia.
50:26Michael Vaughan: And with a good mindset to go out there. I think that's different, isn't it? Because I remember my first trip when I came home injured, everyone was worried about going to Australia. I was worried in 2, 6, 7 as well. But these lads now, you just see it as an opportunity, doesn't it? It's an opportunity to go and play in Australia. It's a completely different mindset. We used to fear it. Yeah, no, absolutely. Hold on, that's interesting. Because when we started, when we started, it used to take the sort of like, we weren't expected to do anything really, were we? You know, it's sort of like, well, you know, if you get 40, oh, well done.
50:58Michael Vaughan: You know, you get a couple of, you know. I mean, these boys now, they just take the bat out of the rat and go, well, I'm going to go. Well, that's why he started, really. That, you know, it would happen about 2005. But even before then, I think, I think you did similar to what's trying to be done now. You know, there's expression. use your character and pause yourself work hard we didn't quite see it through but that's what you were trying to get to That were a great series that 2005 Well I've always said to play the Aussies you've got to have players that are willing to take risks But that was a perfect storm wasn't it?
51:33Michael Vaughan: We had the team that was a fabulous team We had the bowling attack Yeah absolutely The only doubt I have about the team in Australia is getting 20 wickets It's the only doubt that I look at and think. There's a lot of inexperience in the bowling attack. There is, but there's a real nice crop of bowl, isn't there? You look at it, you've got your Archers, your Wood, Tong, your Mancook. Gosh. Cass. Cass, I like it. Atkinson. Yeah. Walks, he's walked lovely last week against India. You know, he's got that nip back again. Yeah, I look at that side and actually I'm with you. I think actually no one knows actually what the best bowling attack is out of that group.
52:13but they're all good bowlers. Without the generational great that Anderson brought to take them out of it, actually, there's eight bowlers there. You could go with quite a few different combinations. That's going to be the key to the combination. And who's bowling well at the time.
52:26Michael Vaughan: I don't think the Aussies will mind just three big quicks coming in on a flat one, you know what I mean? It's like the side we are. We had Matthew. Steve Bowen is where you had Simon fast and that. I did what I did. Matthew took the most wickets over a two and a half, three-year period. Probably bowled the most over. but Matthew's not the most wickets so you look at your walks and your cokes being brought in by the high pace lads yeah I think when we won in 2010-11 we didn't have anyone we had Tremlett who could bow quick bounce but he had bounce he's a bodybuilder now isn't he he's massive he is huge he was big when he played and now he's like he's huge he is like a monster the one thing you've had though was swan yeah for me swan take your muddleies out of it and your Ashwinds is the best finger spinner ever to play.
53:17How's he as a coach? He's lively. He's a great actor. Just watching Fred talk about coaching, Swanee's the same. No, no, no, no. No, no, I'm just about to say, he loves Swanee. He's done all his other stuff, and yet you start getting him talking about young English cricketers. He has that spark in his face again. He's almost found his calling. Has he been working with Shaweb? Yes, I think he has, yeah. So he showed... He's got to be. Bash came with us to Australia. So he spent some time with us on the Lions and we had Swanee and Dawes out there as well, Richard Dawson, who's incredible. What a coach, what a job he's doing at Glamorgan.
53:56Great fella. So, yeah, Bash was out with us. What a man he is. He's brilliant. Just brilliant to be around Bash. He's learning on the job as well. Well, he is, yeah. You know what I mean? He's doing alright as well, isn't he?
54:07Michael Vaughan: He's doing very well. 58 wickets at 21. Yeah. Exactly, and... It's not bad. Everyone's on him. Wow. Not on him. At least you can. Not on him, not on him, but you can just see. Well, listen, yeah, he's got to find that length on a flatty when the boys are coming out.
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56:30Michael Vaughan: Fred, you said you've got bullseye. and you've got your coaching, you might have one other thing. I don't know. If there was one TV... I'm writing another book. Right, so you've got your book, that's easy. What show or what thing would you do if you could? I mean, you've done some mad things. I mean, you've jumped off cliffs in Mexico. I remember you had your fish and chip wagon. Yeah, I enjoyed that. The fish and chip wagon. What's the one thing that you haven't done that you go, you know what, I'll have a pop at that? Boxing, he's done that. Done that. Wrestling. What about a jockey?
57:08Michael Vaughan: The old horse comes in and goes off at foot.
57:14What is it? I don't know. I don't feel... I think for a time I was searching for something. Genuinely, I thought I was trying to... I love playing cricket. Not every day, but most days. And nothing... As hard as I tried to replace that passion or that feeling I couldn't you know I'd boxed I'd done musical theatre I'd done a bit of acting and presenting
57:39Michael Vaughan: League of Their Own League of Their Own and Top Gear all these things nothing ever came close nothing ever came close to I got myself in some situations whether it be like stunts or presenting or like singing on stage but I never ever got as nervous anything like walking out to bat really? yeah never even boxing walking out to the rink really? nothing No? No, because if I get knocked out, I get knocked out. Yeah? Well, the batting meant everything. It just meant everything. It's like you walk out. Where do you get... So if you look at your life, you've had that many ups and downs. Yeah. But you've always found a way to bounce back.
58:19Michael Vaughan: Yeah. Where do you get that mentality from? And how do we... And how are you as a... You've no option, have you? No, but absolutely. But how can you pass that on to... I think we're in an era where resilience is forgotten. Huge. You know, a lot of young kids, we don't teach them resilience. They fail once and it's like it's the end of the world. How have you been able to bounce back so many times? I don't know. I think through a cricket career and even growing up where I grew up, in Preston, working class Preston, you know, people can knock it in that. But for me, Preston will always be home. I love the place.
58:54I went to a school which was notoriously rough. I'm not a fighter. or I'm not like anything but even to play cricket but even to play cricket I had to fight because it wasn't the dumb thing I was like Billy Elliot you know what I mean playing cricket in working class Preston so and then my dad my dad used to come home from work you know put in a shift then his hands was all cut and things and you just think wow this fellow is incredible and then you see what his attitude towards things are and you know in cricket I got up here and I got down here I wouldn't say I felt comfortable down here, but when you got to the top, it was like, it's got a shoe, it's better than this.
59:36You know, I relate to having abs when I boxed. I'd trade my nuts off, I've always wanted abs. And the night before the fight, I'm in Miral looking like a six pack. I think it should be better than this. You know, I'd love them back. But it was like, well, actually, I enjoyed the work. I enjoyed whether it's the grind or proving people wrong or getting back up there when I got to the top. because if you think about cricket it's a game like no other is it? It's a team sport but at one point you're doing it's you. It's you. You get out everybody else celebrates your demise. You've got a team running around crowd room you've got to trudge off on your own go and sit in a dressing room and then think what I should have done I'd do that again do this, do that and you've got to put yourself back together and then go out and do it again.
1:00:21Well I was just about to say every time it's a failure it's resilience it's got to be. You get 50 it's resilience How did you put yourself back together then? Are there little tricks of the trade then to put yourself back together? I'd listen there. Back when you finish, even if you get 50, you should have got 100. You get 100, you should have got a daddy 100. So you're always that. But for me, it was the challenge of just trying to do it again. And I just love that. I said, whether you put it at your calling point, I've not had your ups and downs or anything like that. I'm just, the challenge is doing it again and doing it again.
1:00:56and that's what the players have to do that's the only way you can do cricket is by saying right whatever happens and Gucci was brilliant for me on that Gucci because I thought when he came in he's quite a serious guy and I thought every time I go out he'd be crossing me he never crosses me well only once because he was just make sure you don't make a mistake out and go again it's all about going again and you know and that's why I think we love I mean that's why I get excited about batting is the challenge of can you do it again you get under it it's finished but no and you've won mistake and you don't That's the thing, you watch these lads bat, and I almost forgot that I played, because you watch them and you sit there in amazement.
1:01:33Someone bat him for five hours. If you make a mistake, you're gone. It's incredible how someone can score. He's scored tens of thousands of runs. Can just bat and bat and not make a big mistake for five or six hours, and then keep going and going and going.
1:01:47Michael Vaughan: Judgment is what to defend, what to hit. They say, oh, there's no defence. Well, that's judgment. You've got to have a judgment. The best players in the world have defended the ball because he's got a good ball. He's a good ball. You've got to have a good stop. You've got to have a good stop. Or a good ramp. Or a ramp. Also, as well, you think about when you get out, if someone's in a dressing room out, nobody feels worse in that dressing room than him. No. I've had people and coaches and, you know, teammates who lump it on you when you're out or pull you apart. You feel bad enough. it's about the next time now how are we going to that's gone it is about the next time it's the only thing you can do about batting I only recall when I was playing it used to when when a batsman was out and for a low score if he got a good score everybody's yeah low score nothing everybody's quiet leaving it's his own space leaving but then you get them that throws things and kick things oh there was a lot of throwers oh Nasser Jesus Nasser Christ what the hell yeah now the youngsters not much But it's got to be that.
1:02:53I'm sorry, it had to be an act. Because if you're that angry, you'll just smash the stumps down every time you go out. But you actually walk off all nice and thin and then you sit down and do it there. I cried a few times. Saying the sauna at Yorkshire crying. South Africa. Yeah, and India.
1:03:13Michael Vaughan: Right, to finish off, we've got some community questions. What have we? Yeah, we've got a few that have come in. Just for him? Well, we can all answer. The first one is, do we think Harry Brook is a future Test match captain of England? Yes. Yes. Yeah, Harry Brook can be anything. I mean, you're close. You're in it. How good is he? I mean, we see his numbers and we see his shots. So he had the superchargers last year and, you know, he got the captains here. And the one thing is, he's so shrewd and sharp. He's incredible. And as a coach, I sat there and I'm thinking, actually, people are probably going to think this is my idea.
1:03:50when it works and he's making me look so good as a coach because I say to him do you need anything Harry? No I'm fine I say well if you need anything let me know and then he just gets on with it he sees the game he's such a great kid he's even like in the under last year he came running off to get an helmet to stand at short leg for a big key run Pollard and he comes in and he goes I'm going in short leg and he runs off and then you think the camera's on me thinking this is something to do with me it's not he's just incredible
1:04:20Michael Vaughan: Right, this will be a good one. Which county have produced the best cricketers, Lancashire or Yorkshire? Whatever. Well, that's the question. Yorkshire. Yorkshire. Yorkshire, yep. Well, you said Fred Truman's the greatest bowler of all time earlier. You said that on a previous Jeffrey. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Jeffrey Boycott, Root, Berstow. Gough. Gough. White. Ernest Tillsley. John Tommy Tillsley. Arnie. Richard Tulsley Cyril Washbrook James Anderson he's doing alright in T20 cricket fancy him at the superchargers Fred I keep teasing him about the wildcard but he doesn't he doesn't find it funny I'll arrest my case do you want to say any more Ian Austin Oscar yeah did you say Crawley did you say Crawley Glenn Chappell yeah Michael Annington Sam Hartley Andrew Flintoff you don't need to what have you gone to Yorkshire I'm going Yorkshire to Lancashire or are you going he said Yorkshire no now you've said it I think in the past now Yorkshire try it I think that's the final the final kind of thought Doug Padgett Doug Padgett what a coach he was great lad Dougie Harry Pilling just give us a rub I know he did I used to sit when he was at Academy I used to sit Bradford Park and like Keane's would be rubbing his shoulders yeah Give us a rub.
1:05:48Michael Vaughan: Fred, it's just fine. Just talk to us about Field of Dreams. That great series. And am I right in saying you're doing another one? I've just finished another one. With a girls' team, is that correct? I've got three new teams. A boys' team in Bootle in Liverpool, Newton Heath in Manchester, and a girls' team in Blackpool. And there's an idea I had a while ago, and the original idea was to try and find someone in Preston who wouldn't get a chance of playing cricket, could be a professional cricketer, But then when we started, I realised actually it's not that. It's bigger than that, giving people a chance.
1:06:22And, you know, I've got great relationships with the Preston boys. I saw them the other week. And they're all fighting. You know, Adnan's playing and Sean's got a job and Ben's down. So Adnan's playing for lengths too. He's playing for lengths too, yeah. I hope someone takes a chance on him because in a short form, I think he's destructive as a batter and skilful as a bowler. But all the boys are doing well. and I think what I didn't envisage was what I got from it you know with what happened with the accident and then going to India with these boys I see that helped me so much and then even to doing what I'm doing now in coaching them lads have helped me so much so we just finished another one I don't know what's going to happen after that it's getting bigger and bigger and bigger I don't really know where it's going but I think the one thing it highlighted was if you give kids a chance to lap it up do alright kids are good
1:07:12Michael Vaughan: no knees Newton Heath. Which England captain were born in Newton Heath? Michael. Atherton. Is that right? Is that right? Yeah. Anybody says, oh, he's a posh lad. Oh, we're born in Newton Heath. Dad was a vicar, wasn't he? No!
1:07:33Michael Vaughan: Make you guess from your knowledge. I don't know. He always told me, was his dad a vicar? I don't know. He was, wasn't he? Someone's dad. No, he's an headmaster. Headmaster. It's the same. Someone's dad is a vicar, but I don't know. That's all we've got time for. Fred, thanks so much. Terrific. Thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye.
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1:08:40Michael Vaughan: Thanks for listening and thanks to our partners Betfair. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and you won't miss an episode. And if you want to support the show, please leave us a five-star review and help others find it too. See you next time.
Cricket legend Freddie Flintoff joins Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell for an unforgettable episode of Stick to Cricket - brought to you by Betfair! 🏏🔥
Freddie opens up about his emotional journey through the game – from fighting just to play cricket as a kid to nearly joining the WWE after retirement.
He reflects on life after cricket, including his love for coaching, stepping into the boxing ring, and finding enjoyment beyond the pitch.
Plus: hear why he still misses cricket, what motivates him today, and the hilarious story behind how close he really came to becoming a wrestling superstar!
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