London, July 16: Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels the retirement of talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff after the Ashes will serve as a distraction for the England players during the rest of the series, and will work in favour of the visitors.
”For us, knowing the stature he has in the game in England then I can see it turning into that.
”If they know this is his last chance to play here, his last chance to play Edgbaston, and last chance to play Headingley, I am sure there will be a bit of a circus around,” Ponting said.
”I have been in teams when it has happened and it can be a distraction not only for the person involved but for the captain as well.
”It could be good for us if that is the case. It could create some distractions but that is not for us to worry about,” he added.
Flintoff played a crucial role when England defeated the Aussies back in 2005 and Ponting admitted that the 31-year-old all-rounder is a tough customer to play against.
”Whenever he plays a game you get the feeling of the crowd getting involved and loving seeing him play,” Ponting told reporters.
”You can see the fans here are very passionate about watching Andrew Flintoff,” he added.
Ponting drew parallels with former captain Steve Waugh’s retirement during the 2002-03 Ashes series, adding that England faces a similar situation in Flintoff’s case.
”They’re probably similar sort of figures in either side, culturally as well,” Ponting stated. ”Everyone in Australia loved everything about Steve Waugh, the way he played and the way he led the side.” ”We talked long and hard before that first Test match about what we could do to ensure it didn’t turn out to be a long farewell tour – but, as hard as we tried, sure enough it became very heavily focused on everything he did,” the 34-year-old added.
—–Agencies