Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff was born on December 6th 1977 in Preston, England. He played cricket in the Lancashire Leagues for Preston before being snapped up as a schoolboy by Lancashire County Cricket Club. It wasn't long before his performances with Lancashire caught the eye of the England selectors and at the age of 21 Andrew made his full international debut against South Africa in 1998.

Despite showing enormous potential, Andrew's England career didn't go as well as he would've hoped. His weight fluctuated dramatically and his performances were equally erratic. He became as famous for his expanding waistline as for his cricketing abilities. There were more than a few calls for him to be dropped from the England team.

However, in the last few years Andrew has found a new focus and maturity, resulting in a huge improvement in his performances on the cricket field. As the summer of 2005 approached, he had established himself as one of the top players in the world. But the best was yet to come.

In July 2005 Australia, the best team in the world, came to the UK to defend The Ashes (arguably the greatest prize in cricket) against England. Despite a shaky start England, fueled by Flintoff's brilliance, performed fantastically and won the series. Cricket suddenly became cool and Andrew Flintoff suddenly became the new David Beckham.