Flintoff: My challenge to ensure cricket is not just for posh kids
CRICKET legend Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff is taking on his “biggest challenge” yet – by setting up a team for underprivileged teens who have never played the sport.
State school-educated Freddie is dismayed that top-level cricket is now a game reserved for “posh kids”, with almost all of the current England men’s team privately educated.
His bid to redress the balance will be filmed for a three-part BBC documentary series, which has a working title of Freddie’s First Eleven.
Elitist
Top Gear host Freddie, 43, said: “I made it to the highest level of cricket attending state schools on an estate in Preston, but I can’t see many doing that now.
“The vast majority of the England men’s national cricket team attended private school.
“Cricket is more elitist per head than rugby, rowing and the House of Lords. We’ve got to do something to get young, working-class people playcricket ing our national summer sport.” The kids selected by dad-of-four Freddie will all be from his native Lancashire – and while they will be sporty, they will not have considered playing cricket before.
Freddie is determined to prove that anyone can find camaraderie, confidence and success playing the sport he loves.
And he hopes that his team will carry on competing long after the cameras stop rolling.
Freddie added: “I really hope this series can demonstrate that with some time and coaching, anyone can learn to love cricket and have the opportunities that came my way.”
In 2019, it emerged that 155 school pitches had closed since the Tories came to power, with only 75 new ones built.
In addition, 150 publicly accessible cricket pitches had been sold off since 2010. At the time Tom Watson, then shadow culture secretary, said: “It is a scandal that 80 cricket pitches have been scrapped from schools in England, leaving many children and young people without access to the game.
“The Government must end school cuts to ensure that grassroots cricket is open to everyone.” The BBC’s documentary chief Clare Sillery said she was looking forward to Freddie’s “interesting and unique” series when it goes out next year. She said: “I can’t wait to see what unfolds when one of our greatest sporting heroes, who has a genuine passion and commitment to bringing change to youngsters’ lives, takes on this challenge.”