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Overlap Daily

1 Jul 2025 · 1h 2m

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Freddie Flintoff: WWE, Coaching England & Life After Cricket! | Stick to Cricket

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In this episode of "The Overlap," cricket legend Freddie Flintoff joins hosts Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd, and Phil Tufnell on the show "Stick to Cricket." The discussion revolves around Flintoff's journey in cricket, his career transitions, and his emotional reflections about life after retirement.

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0:39Grainger helps you stay fully stocked on the products you trust, from paper towels and disinfectants to floor scrubbers. Plus, you can rely on Grainger for easy reordering so you never run out of what you need. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. A mochi moment from Mark, who writes, I just want to thank you for making GLP-1s affordable. What would have been over$1 ,000 a month is just$99 a month with Mochi. Money shouldn't be a barrier to healthy weight. Three months in, and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet. You're the best.

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1:58That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio.

2:06Where's Fred going? Fred goes at the end, so guests are always here and you're always in the same spot. 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 some on its way. I'll have a latte if there's one there. Thank you. I wouldn't mind a latte. Now, what are we... I'm having a white coffee. White coffee, lovely. What are we... Oh, we've got sweets now. Look at that. I thought it was charcuterie. Look at it. What are they? Swiss rolls. Swiss rolls. It's sweets. Look at this. It's sweets.

2:44I thought it was a bit of ham. 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?

3:06That's how it goes, isn't it? What's that? Bullseye. Theme music. Can't beat a busy bully. I get you, huh? Can't beat a busy bully. What? But Freddie doesn't do that. The presenter doesn't do that, does he? That was Tony Green. Yeah, that's Tony Green. Tony Green. Who's having a Rosie? No, I'm good. I'm having a coffee. Not another speedboat, is it? You can't meet a bit of bully. I'll do all of it. I'll do all of them. Yeah, can't meet a bit of bully. What was his name, Bowen, was 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.

3:51Robbie Williams' dad were a proper left-time spinner. Was he? Robbie Williams' dad. That's right. Was he a big turner? He's a singer, not the little actor. That is correct. He's got a rosy. Top class league cricket, Staffordshire League, against Gary Sobers and Wesley Hall and all them. Oh, right. Ronan Keating's that good keeper. Ronan 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 of the way. I've got them. the red. He should have done it, not me. I was absolutely mortified when you got that job.

4:35He's a proper player. He can play dart. He's died. I was in with Army, wasn't it, on tour? Steve Arm's little bag. And Army never took kit, he just took his dartboard and didn't set pads on the arms. Seriously, anyone got a pad? He used to borrow kit, he had a dartboard, an hockey, and about 10 ,000 minstrels in his bag. He used to come in. Yeah, well, I'll tell that first ever talk. Pakistan. You can tell now, this is the show. Oh, we're on. Oh, right. But he was responsible for me getting into darts. Never thrown an arrow ever. And then I turned up to Pakistan in 2005. You were skipper. And Strauss was going home, wasn't he, on the end of the third, for the third test match.

5:19And your knee was a little bit sore. This one showed, was bowling speed of light. That's where my knee was sore. That's right, got the hospital pass. Didn't tell me that one. 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, but I didn't know anything because I played a new belly and Matt Pratt.

5:48Anyway, put my door in, opened the door, and I was literally knocking on the door, literally 30 seconds later, Harmy, come next door. So there it was, Fred and Harmy sharing rooms, and apparently because you were scared of the dart, 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 fools and horses. Back at it. You're scared 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.

6:28Well, Harmy travelled to New Zealand. We had the same bat sponsor. So I was with Gunnar Mawr, and I always remember him knocking on my door the night before the first test saying, Skip, can I borrow your pads tomorrow? Yeah, he had no kit. I went, what do you mean? He said, no, I haven't brought my pads. I said, what, he brought that fucking dartboard? And an oki. And an oki. Everything, wasn't he? No pads, only gloves and bowling boots, and one bat. That's not preparation, is it? LAUGHTER That's the best thing about Army now, he goes on telly saying they don't prepare. LAUGHTER There you go. He's got so much gold.

7:04I didn't take any pads with you, boy. Come on, all right. He's not had an outstanding. It'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 practice. Well, yeah, but we all used to encourage us to sort of... Get away. Get away from the pressures of the game. That's it, get away. We went on that... What did you do, Phil? Oh, 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.

7:40Like a pirate ship. In with all the money, Kat. In with all the money. John Getty. John Paul Getty. Oh, we went on his boat. Remember that? What about that? Oh! 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. Day out on John Paul Getty's boat, he had these, like, jet skis that go and zzzz, 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, lovely, lovely, lovely, champagne, champagne, and I said, oh, listen, you've got a little bit of that, mate, because the boys might be a bit thirsty, you know what I mean?

8:20He 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, you know, 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.

8:59He 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 that large. We're going to start Andrew on two and a half. I nearly joined the WWE. me. Yeah, I didn't want to box. What were you, a big cub? Big Fred. You can't treat them all the same, they're all different. 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?

9:38I don't know why to be shouting, because he said he can catch pigeons. Throw him a pigeon!

9:50Fred, how are you? I'm good. How are you, mate? How are you, brother? Nice to see you. 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 didn't he against the West Indies ended up travelling around your mum's lap trying to get the ball and then I had coaches a fellow called Jim Kenyon who was around Lancashire great man he helped me turn from a schoolboy cricketer to one who could play with men's cricket John Stanworth and then Bumble he picked me everywhere he went he picked me for under 90s give me a contract at Lancashire picked me for England and he's probably, I don't embarrass him, but probably will, probably one of the biggest influences in my career.

10:49You know, he saw this young lad who was quite insecure, not sure of himself, and he just backed me so much that eventually it started rubbing off a little bit. What about with Wazim? So I got him into length team, I said, shove him at second sleep, catch everything. What age was he when you first saw him? 14, 15. He came around the house to sign us. Yeah, best china in front room. Colin and Sue on the sofa. Got the china out for him. He came round and it was him and Geoff Ogden. Geoff Ogden. He was a cricket chairman. Cricket chairman. He was involved at worst, the cricket club. Yeah, so it's a big thing.

11:24They've got David Lloyd's 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. So we're going in that room because Bumble's coming and my mum put a teapot on and got the best cups and sauces out. Biscuits. Or Jommie Dodgers and custard creams. You know, we were pushing the boat out and he sat there. I remember, I can remember it now, I'm just sat there looking and all the family are just like looking at him. He's like, how's he in our house? I went to watch him against, he was playing St.

11:56Anne, so he'd be 14, 15 and opened the bowling for opposition. He's Malcolm Marshall. So I sat down, he cleaned him up at first over. Right, we'll go on there. He went well through you. But he came in, he said, right, we want to sign your Andrew. 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. 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. I'm looking at me dad like, we're going to start Andrew on two and a half.

12:34I'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 and he said never mind what I told you mum and dad it's fucking hard here

12:50but yeah happy days when he his second slip who was he he'll catch everything no you'll shove him in there you've got hands like buckets the first two went down like this who was he who is this Freddy 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 Instagram get out of there yeah he catches three before once I dropped and I was him shouting because he said he can catch pigeons throw him a pigeon

13:24how 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 young he would do like a 17 year old daddy invited me to a barbecue his house in Old Tringham he's still got I thought it was a team it was just me I'm sat in a garden with a wazzy macram it was bonkers 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 an old umpire's gone and 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 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.

14:08That's where he had a problem. I used to stand it, slip 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. And then when he wrapped 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. and then showed me how to reverse swing it as well. Bumble, what did you see? And the first time you saw him, what were you thinking?

14:37Well, 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 gutted. Oh, you did it, Dan. 10. Who were captains? Winker? Winker, yeah. He got first wicket. He took an absolute screamer at mid-off. Winker caught it. Did it, right.

15:17And then he said, this is what we do here. He were a good bloat, Winker. I used to like him. Great man. Yeah, yeah. He was good cricket, didn't he? And then we had the bulbous one. Don't PS bat. Didn't we? We had the bulbous one. Bulbous. who bully Ian Austin. Oh, he'd get me out for fun. I'll be bold. So, you know, I don't know whether they do it now. You'll know from what you're doing now. You'll remember when you had a drink at the end of a day's play on the club. Yeah. You had a lot of lager, a milk, or this and that. The 12th was around the list. That's it. The 12th man went around with the list.

15:54The bulbous one, I'll have a bottle of Chardonnay. Andy drank it before he went home and he moaned like hell about everybody he was a great lad never got injured never never ever got injured now he was a grand lad 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 Bumbo, it was just that unwavering backing of him. Yep. You know what I mean?

16:33That confidence he gave you. So I was young and I was in a man's world. I was surrounded by, you know, international cricketers at Lancashire. And then having him there, who was just constantly giving me confidence to do things, just wore off on me eventually. I wanted a technical coach. You know, I thought if they're playing for England, surely they know how to hold it. You would have thought so. Yeah. There's a few theories. We did straight away. There's a few theories. I got told when I took the job, stay away from him, bad news. Thanks so much. Who said that? Me missus? Which one? Atherton.

17:08Atherton are back into the hill all the time. 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, yeah. Only a little bit, only a little bit of it. I was in the dressing room when he was doing that. I had 12th man for England when I was 17. Me and my mate Paddy. Got you in again, didn't he? Oh, dressing room. It's more of an expense. Regions can't marry him. Me and Paddy in London, get in.

17:41I 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. So he was doing that, and I had to wait on all the players. And Jack Russell, because lunch was at quarter past one. Oh, yeah. Wheat a bit? Yeah, 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, the perfect. Did it the first day. India batted two days.

18:12Forgotten the second day. I put him in at 11 minutes past. He came off. I give him these Wheat a bit and he's just looking at them like that. He says, what time did you put them in? Oh, no. I said, four minutes past one, Jack. He started doing this one. He's checking the deck. They went sitting at 11 minutes past one, didn't they? I said, yes, Jack. Can you just wait six minutes? Can you wait six minutes? And 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.

18:57What 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'd have 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.

19:38Well, 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 Bowen, Neil McKenzie, best batting coach I've ever seen. server tail doing the keeping and the field and 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 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 probably think the same they put so much pressure on themselves Yeah.

20:21I 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. Wanted 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. Yeah. I'm interested in 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.

21:03Do you know what I mean? Yeah. 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. Yeah, thanks for that. Yes. No, but 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.

21:40So I encourage the lads to be themselves. That's weird. I mean, I think the hardest thing about coaches, you talked about the balance of getting to know people. Back when you started, obviously Bumble, almost when I started, well, all of us actually, we were a lot of tell-me coaches, weren't we? Yes. The coaches would tell you what to do and now it's very much the player learns. However, 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. Yeah. But if you don't, players react so badly to that, I think.

22:11I think they're better now. Are they? I think they're better. So 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 tell you where your arms and leg goes. And you say, hang on a minute, I'm more interested in how you get down that side. As batters, we get wrapped up. And I saw some of the Indians play over the past two weeks.

22:41And they play the game. You know what I mean? that they're playing what comes at them they're playing a condition they're playing a surface where they're looking to hit the ball where I think sometimes we're just so technical and get wrapped up in technique but technique is so important though isn't it because if you the foundations of course I'm not saying it's not technique but when you're out of Nick when you're out of Nick technique when you're in Nick yeah and the margins are very small but what I was saying like Fred's obviously coming kind of from quite a strange not a strange place but obviously he's good he's at it again isn't he He's on TNT.

23:15You know, I'm talking about strangers from a coaching point of view. You haven't been in the game for a while. And then 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. The badges are important. I've just finished my third one. You learn them, don't you? Level three coach. I think so, I'm waiting for a certificate. You 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.

23:47Do you think it's important or your experience of what you've achieved in your life, 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. because 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 come back into it and you think, why have I not been here for so long?

24:39Just the right expert, right when you need them. Work smarter and faster with Upwork. Go to Upwork.com now and find your freelance expert. That's U-P-W-O-R-K.com. Post a job for free and get started today. If you're a custodial supervisor at a local high school, you know that cleanliness is key. And that the best place to get cleaning supplies is from Grainger. Grainger helps you stay fully stocked on the products you trust. From paper towels and disinfectants to floor scrubbers. Plus, you can rely on Grainger for easy reordering, so you never run out of what you need. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.

25:18Grainger, for the ones who get it done. A Mochi moment from Mark, who writes, I just want to thank you for making GLP-1s affordable. What would have been over$1 ,000 a month is just$99 a month with Mochi. Money shouldn't be a barrier to healthy weight. Three months in, and I have smaller jeans and a bigger wallet. You're the best. Thanks, Mark. I'm Myra Amid, founder of Mochi Health. To find your Mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com. Mark is a Mochi member compensated for his story. Thank you for calling the Bombas Comfort Line. Bombas make socks, slippers, tees, and underwear made with the highest quality materials.

26:00Press 1 for comfort, 2 for style, 3 for donation. You chose style. Bombas is styles for whatever you enjoy. You can run in Bombas, lounge in Bombas, dress them up, dress them down, but always give back in Bombas. Because with every item purchased, another is donated. Bombas, comfort worth calling for. Go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio for 20 % off your first purchase. That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio. 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. You fell out with it? I did. You reacted to it.

26:36I genuinely thought that my best years were in front of me at 31. 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. And 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. Do you just avoid it at all costs because of that? Kind of.

27:07So 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.

27:44I nearly joined the WWE. Yeah, I didn't want a box. That was never the plan. So I was... What were you being called? Big Fred. Here it is, come on, guys. That went down the line. Who that bought? Yeah. That bloke? Or Richard Dawson, undefeated. He'd been shot four times, debt collected, he'd been in prison. Tough impression. So that got quite far down the line. So what happened was, right, so he got to a point in Dubai where 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. 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.

28:34See? Why is it, you know, you're The Undertaker with big heart, ooh, these fellas walk in the air, 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 loved it, right? So this started gathering momentum. Next minute, it's been passed on to WWE. I'm in contact with WWE. What, Vince McMahon? Yeah. So I'm in with these. Oh, good shit. I know my wrestling. So I'm in there. I thought, right, I better get fit. So Dave Roberts Rooster, who was 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?

29:14I need to bulk up. Right. 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 never heard of this Bing Daddy right so we go over it's a chilly crabtree chilly crabtree so they fly us 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.

29:58They're like six foot eight, seven foot monsters at Misses. Are you right 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 for three hours tough as I ran the ropes. I go, 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?

30:37I 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 said, are you all right with us? Yeah. so the second day I was sore so I'm thinking something's not right so I said to this physio I think I'm having a back spasm so they're all going oh the English guy's got a back spasm so he put me on the couch so he's pushing me I can feel my ribs separating and 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 fella 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?

31:25I 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 how hard I am because I'm from like ranting. I said, I don't like that. Can I do another? So I just looked out and there's all these weird and wonderful looking people and just tore them over a new one. They're trying to wire me up after two minutes. I go, I've not finished.

31:59I've not finished. Sat down, nothing. And then we went on all this in Miami. And two weeks later, we 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. Oh. So we'll fast-track you in 18 months. You'll be at WrestleMania. You'll be at Rumble. I'm thinking. You are. And the money was obscene. Was it? Was 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.

32:36So I had a fight, a boxing instead. You couldn't have done it. You got the contract. You were defeated. Undefeated, me and Mayweather. Thought in Manchester. Yeah. About 10 ,000 people. Can you imagine? Yeah. Against the Undertaker. You're a big lad, though, isn't it? Big lad. You'd have had the... What's it? The sleeper or something, innit? 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, just talking about the telly and everything. From one king of the jungle to another.

33:11Oh, well, congrats to that. Oh, Christ, Jack. 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. Yeah, why 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. No? Yeah. What did you think of that? Easiest month of my life. Absolutely no phone. Just sat there. What about my phone? I'm with big Murphy's on money. Hang on, that's snakes and spiders. The TV.

33:49snakes, aren't they? Yeah. They're safe as houses. Oh. They are, aren't they? Spiders. Yeah. All the crocodiles have had their teeth pulled out. It's like an elf farm, Bumble. Lost 10 kids, caught up on my sleep. You'd be good at that, Bumble. Yeah. In the jungle. Merv Hughes was in there. Big Merv. Big Merv. I sat next to Merv for 12 hours a day. He's incredible. He's a top man. I used to love Merv Hughes. Love him. We used to love watching him ball. I was sat with him for three weeks. I didn't like facing him. He weren't quick though, was he? No, but he was just aggressive. He was aggressive.

34:28He used to have a little nickname for me when I walked out of back. He used to call me Target Practice.

34:43So coaching, Fred, 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 accident's 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? Oh, by far. Really? 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 and the great kids. over the winter Sonny Berker giving him a debut in Australia somebody let him go Eddie Jack last week fast forward Eddie Jack his first week he's got KL Ralu 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 as a coach you're invested aren't you 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 team together I just take it for granted everybody wants to win I'm more interested in how we play how we go about things and these lads are different wins along the way for me if some of these lads play for England that's a win 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 would play for England never thought it would 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 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 old and seen them progress and one of the same with that so seeing these lads come through even like to the point of you you know we pick you you know 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 yeah no I'm just I find that so hard you know 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 kind of his 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 with 10 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 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 is up at 87, 88.

38:20What? Yeah, he's a 19-year-old kid. He holds it. He's a big, strong, fit lad and his attitude is just incredible. He comes in every morning, so excited. So you've seen yourself?

38:32Yeah, he's got a far better action. But, you know, I had it in my head that I was so smooth. It's like my shoelaces running together and a T-Rex coming. I mean, 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 of, say, 16, 18, you've all different characters.

39:08But I never quite understood what it was. You can't have... What does it mean? Does it mean you stay in an art... You go a bit half past nine, and you go out? What was... That way it was. I mean, somebody like Graham Thorpe... Yes. ...say nothing. Yeah. Didn't say anything in the room. Somebody like Dominic Corr could be all over the place. Yes. Ian Botham, all over the place. Yeah. And so you've got all different people. That's what you brought, actually. You can't treat them all the same. They're all different. Absolutely. And so, you know, you put your arm round him and give Goffy a bit of a belt, and there's no problem.

39:43Does that still work, isn't it? Does that still, you know, different strokes with different folks? Yeah, definitely. If you think about it, you've got a group of lads put together. You know, the only thing you've got in common is they're good at cricket. You're going to get all different characters, and some are going to be close, mate. Some are going to get on really well. You'll have teammates. Some won't like each other. Some won't like each other. It doesn't matter. You know what I mean? as long as they've all got a common goal and they're all respectful of each other and working together, that's fine.

40:09One other thing I've just got to ask quickly, we've got a couple of coaches here, 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? What did you write 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. Yeah, you're always writing it. Are you scoring? No. So we'd have our team meetings and where are we going to bowl? And so we're going to bowl off stump.

40:45Top of off stump. Top of off stump. You've always got both the top of off, don't you? I'd write down every delivery of the first six overs they'd bowl. Oh, right. So Alan Mulally, there's four gone down the leg side and he couldn't fucking reach half of them. Well, so that was the top of off stump. to which Mulally said, well, they're going at six and over at the other end. I've got to drag it back from this end. So that's what I'm writing down. Wide down the leg side, full, outside off stunt four, and then give it to them at the end of that session. Now it's all done on the old Ootski. I tried it.

41:19So I did the T20 stuff with England, the edge bastard with Motti, great man. I noticed everyone's got a book. So I'm waiting to sit ground and stop 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 Professor Staff Murray who runs the analyst and we just got Cunny who was at Knott's and I'm picking his brains and seeing how we use the analytics a bit more you know you say this Jack's lad I actually haven't seen him in 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 in him everyone said he's good and yet 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 hasn't got a first class run which gets to me I don't know look at you everyone that has got to score hundreds I don't give a fine money but in Warwickshire No matter how long it takes them, they book out.

42:33But like, so Bethel, at Warwickshire, nowhere near back in 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 characters? We speak, you know, you speak to the DLCs, you speak to the coaches. You 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. Dan Mousley as well we've had him not playing at Warwickshire scored 150 odd against Zimbabwe and then we we took him for the Pakistan sorry the India game scored an amazing first first class 100 so you've got to back your own judgement as well Kookie you know what I mean there's certain lads like in the winter we took Kookie you know mate great lad great bowler you know he's been knocking on the door and he's done well in County Creek for years he came along with us I thought it was I thought you got everyone was trying to say where he won't bowl the kookabub in Australia.

43:29You need to fill your glass up, Cookie. No, no, that's what I thought it was. I thought he 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 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. I've seen him on going, this bloke, if he plays for England over a period of time, he's going to do really well.

44:01And I'm so pleased he did it with Australia. But actually, I don't care, because the development of him learning to bowl the cooker at a ball and proving to people he can do it, that's what you want as a character. 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 McCullum, 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 that the big role which is it's a huge amount of trouble 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 best 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 you know The football lads.

44:57Not 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 not a secret, 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 respects. 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.

45:36He'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, where I'm actually really happy of owning. You know, I work with these young lads, great staff around me. I think I've got a job to do with that. It's not like, what's next? How many days a year is it? It's a lot now. When I went for a job, I had to fill a CV and do all the stuff and I had interviews. First job interview, really. Do you have to present? Do you have to present something off a laptop?

46:11No. Questions, HR questions. I had the only 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 I actually was out there. And then there was 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, but 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.

47:04I love the speedboat, is it? Do they still give speedboats? We had one in the studio last time. Absolutely brilliant. Nice though, love a speedboat. Not like this thing that Jim Bowen had. Tony Green.

47:24you've won seven quid I'll just count this out and we'll be back after this break and it don't get any better fantastic what about 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. 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, mate. You know, sent us down to pan five. It really was. We've both done five.

48:06Have 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 one. 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, didn't it? But you look at it, they're a good side, aren't they? Look at a bowling attack. Come in, start, there's a one, and lying. I think the batting... 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.

48:42I think if Australia are fully fit, I think England you'd put Australia favourites but you saw take Lyon out of that side in the last series and these England players play well against this Australian Cummings I keep going well I keep going listen to me Cummings averaged 37 against England in that series but Bowling was a 50 going at 5, 6 runs and over now these guys aren't used to batsmen going after South Africa it's the first Aussie batting line that I've looked at and Smith's still got it but if you took and I know he's going to be there but if you took Smith out of the batting line-up oh 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 Kawad just stays till after the Ashes has he?

49:31right yeah yeah and they'll probably leave Labashane out yeah he ain't got a run no so they need an opener and that is at Costas Costas Constas yeah Costa Costa Costa.

49:48What's his name? He was reverse-lapping the bloody... You were right the first time. Costa. Our batting's strong, though, isn't it? Crowley and Duckett. You watch Duckett ball and, 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 and he's incredible. He's just getting better and better. Crowley, you've got them two. You've got him coming down and Crowley top of the bounce. So he's back three then? I'm not picking it. We added him out. I've picked battle. Alistair's picking it. I'm starting with both here. I think everything's going to unfold over the next few weeks.

50:26These 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, isn't it? India, then Australia. 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 working in 267 as well but these lads now you just see it as an opportunity it's an opportunity to go and play in Australia it's a completely different mindset we used to fear it absolutely 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 you know you get a couple I mean these boys now they just take the bat out of the wrapper and go well I'm going to go well that's why he started really That would happen about 2005, but even before then, I think you did similar to what's trying to be done now.

51:21There'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 was 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? 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?

51:59You look at it, you've got your archers, your wood, Tong, your man Cook. Gosh. Cass. Cass, I like it. Atkinson. Walks, he's walked lovely last week against India. you know you've 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 but they're all good bowlers without the generational great with Anderson Broad taking them out of it actually there's eight bowlers there you could go quite a few different combinations that's going to be the key of the combination and who's bowling well at the time 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 had Matthew you know we had Steve Bowen everywhere 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 bowed the most overs but Matthew took 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 Tremlitt who could bow quick bounce on him 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 yep for me Swan here take your muddleies out of it and your Ashwins is the best finger spinner ever to play yeah he is a coach he's lively he's a great just watching Fred talk about coaching Swan he's the same no no no no no I'm just about to say he loves Swan he like you know 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?

53:50Yes I think he has So Shaweb Bash came with us to Australia so he spent some time with us on the Lions and we had Swanee and Dorse out there as well Richard Dawson what a coach what a job he's doing at Glamorgan great fella so yeah Bash was out with us what a man he is he's brilliant just proving to be around Bash. He's learning on the job as well. Well, he is, yeah. You know what I mean? He's doing all right as well, isn't he? He's doing very well. 58 wickets at 21. Yeah. Exactly, and everyone's on him. Well, not on him. Not on him, not on him. 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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56:15Fred, 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. Gosh, 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 fishing chip wagon. Yeah, I enjoyed that. The fishing 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. Wrestling. What about a jockey?

56:51There's your horse. The old horse comes in and goes, oh, for fucks.

56:58What 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 League of Their Own League of Their Own and top game all these things nothing ever came close and 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 nothing even boxing walking out to the rink nothing no because if I get knocked out I get knocked out yeah well the batting it 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.

58:01But you've always found a way to bounce back. Yes. Where do you get that mentality from? And how do we, and how are you as a coach? You're not 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. I agree. And it's like it's the end of the world. If you think about... 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.

58:37I love the place. I went to a school which was notoriously rough. I'm not a fighter, I'm not like anything, but even to play cricket, eh? 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 you just think wow this fella is incredible and then you see what his attitude towards things are 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 you know I relate to having abs when I boxed I'd trade my nuts off I've always wanted abs and night before the fight I'm in mineral looking at his six-pack.

59:29I think it should be better than this. You know, I'd love him 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. And 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. Yeah, just you. You get out, everybody else celebrates your demise. You've got a team running round, crowd up. 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.

1:00:03And you've got to put yourself back together and then go out and do it again. Well, I was just about to say every time. It's resiliency, you've got to be. You get 50, you should. How can we teach resilience? How did you put yourself back together then? Are there little tricks of the trade then to put yourself back together? Listen there, actually, back and you finish, even if you get 50, you should have got 100. You get 100, you should have got a daddy 100. You're always that, but for me, it was the challenge of just trying to do it again. 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.

1:00:38The challenge is just doing it again and doing it again. That's what the players have to do. That's the only way you can do cricket is by saying, right, whatever happens. Gucci was brilliant for me on that. Gucci, because I thought when he came in, he's quite a serious guy. I thought every time I'd go out, he'd be crossing me. He never crossed for me. Well, only once. Because he was just, make sure you don't make the mistake again and go again. It's all about going again. 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 100, it's finished, but not.

1:01:08And 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. Someone batting for five hours. If you make the 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 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.

1:01:58No. I've had people and coaches and 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. It is. 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 be when a batsman was out, for a low score, if he got a good score, or everybody's, yeah, low score, nothing. Everybody's quiet, leave him. It's his own space, leave him. But then you get them that throw things and kick things. Oh, there was a lot of thrallers with him. Oh, Nasser. Jesus. Nasser, God the hell. Yeah. That's how you're sitting at the youngsters.

1:02:35Not much. Not much. But it's got to be that, I'm sorry, it had to be an act. Because if you're that angry, you would 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. sent the sauna at Yorkshire crime South Africa yeah and India right to finish off we've got some community questions what have we? yeah we've got a few 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 Harry Brook can be anything is he? I mean you're close you're in it how good is he I mean we see his numbers we see his shots so he had the superchargers last year you know he got the captaincy 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 when 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 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 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.

1:04:17Yorkshire. Yep. Well, you said Fred Truman's the greatest baller of all time earlier. You said that on a previous Jeffrey. I'm sorry. Jeffrey Boycott, Root, Verstor. Verstor. Gough. Gough. White. Ernest Tillsley. Bourne. John Tommy Tillsley. Arnie. Richard Tillsley. Related to me. Cigarawashbrook. Cigarawashbrook. James Anderson. He's doing all right in T20 cricket, isn't he? Fancy him at the supercharges, Fred? I keep teasing him about the wild card, but you don't... You don't find it funny. I'm going to Old Trafford. I'll arrest Mark A. Do you want to say any more? Ian Austin. Oscar. Yeah. Yeah.

1:04:56Did you say Crowley? Did you say Crowley? Glenn Chappell. Yeah. Michael Hamilton. Tom Hartley. Andrew Flintoff. You don't need to go on. What have you gone? To Yorkshire? I'm going to Yorkshire. To Lancashire or are you going... No, you've said it. I think in the past, now, Yorkshire. I think that's the final kind of thought Dougie Padgett Dougie 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 Keane's would be rubbing his shoulders give us a rub Fred it's just fine just talk to us about Field of Dreams that great series am I right in saying you're doing another one I've just finished another one with the 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 when we started I realised actually it's not that, it's bigger than that, giving people a chance and I've got great relationships with the Preston boys, I saw them all the week and they're all fighting, Adnan's playing and Sean's got a job and bends down.

1:06:15So Adnan's playing for Lanks 2s? He's playing for Lanks 2s, yeah. I hope someone takes a chance on him because in a short form, I think he's destructive as a batter, as 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.

1:06:47I 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 all right, aren't they? You know what I mean? Kids are good. Newt Neath. Newt Neath. Which England captain were born in Newt Neath? Michael. Atherton. Is that right? Is that right? Yeah. Anybody says, oh, he's a posh lad. They were born in Newt Neath. That was a vicar, was he? No! LAUGHTER Make you guess your knowledge. I don't know. Was his dad a vicar? I don't know. He was, wasn't he? Someone's dad was a vicar. No, he's a headmaster. Headmaster. Headmaster. The same.

1:07:30Someone's dad was a vicar, but I don't know. That's all we've got time for. Fred, thanks so much. Terrific. Thank you.

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From the publisher

We've got a special treat for you this week: Cricket legend Freddie Flintoff joins Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell for an unforgettable episode of our new show Stick to Cricket! 🏏🔥


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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