Flintoff To Retire From Tests After Ashes

This Ashes series will be Andrew Flintoff's last Test series. His body can take it no longer. The countless comebacks and subsequent breakdowns have finally taken their toll, and no wonder - the strains and stresses his mind and body have gone through, and the nature of 21st century elite cricket, have made today's announcement somewhat inevitable.

It is a great shame, but in some ways also a relief. News of setback after setback was hard enough for us as fans to take, so goodness knows how he's got through it. Eventually, England were going to have to move on permanently, now that can be done in the Test arena, while the charismatic all-rounder prolongs his international career in one day cricket.

In Jonathan Agnew's reaction to the news, he says that its hard to feel too sorry for Fred - in that he'll continue to play ODI and T20 cricket for England and no doubt a few years of IPL. True, but I do feel sorry for him. It's not inconceivable that actually Test cricket means a good deal more to him than T20 cricket, whether he's playing for his country or the Chennai Super Kings. No one would say no to the money of the IPL, but when Freddie sits back to regale his grandchildren with tales of his glory days, his stories will be of Test matches in 2005 (and 2009?), and it's far from inconceivable that he'd give up all that one day glitz for a prolonged Test career. I'd like to believe he would.

If anyone can sign off at Lord's in style, Andrew Flintoff can.