Andrew Flintoff: Current and ex-players have a responsibility to change perception of cricket

Speaking at a screening for his upcoming BBC series, Field of Dreams, Flintoff also revealed his coaching ambitions and desire to use his experiences where he can make a difference

Visibility and perception are two of the biggest barriers to participation in cricket, believes former England captain Andrew Flintoff.

The 44-year-old was speaking at the screening of his new BBC series, Field of Dreams, where he assembles a group of "unlikely lads" from his home city of Preston and, with the help of former Lancashire teammate Kyle Hogg and Vernon Carus Sports Club, attempts to build a cricket team from scratch.

He finds himself faced with a group of teenagers who’ve battled homelessness, trouble at school and, in the case of Afghan refugee Adnan, unimaginable danger, as well as negative perceptions of, and a lack of awareness about, cricket – "Why would you come round here and think anyone would play cricket?" quips Ben, one of the participants.

And Flintoff believes it is the responsibility of current and former professional cricketers to give something back and tackle the sport’s problems head on.

"As an ex-cricketer, it’s my responsibility to push cricket," Flintoff said. "The kids we had didn’t know I’d played cricket, they thought I’d just done a bit of Top Gear. We talked about the players playing for England and they’ve never heard of them. Cricket does well when England do well, but the problem is these kids don’t know them. It’s getting the visibility of the big player out there and having heroes and role models.

^{Flintoff representing England [Clive Rose/Getty Images]}

"As an ex-cricketer who owes so much to the game, I’ve got a responsibility to put back. I didn’t see it that way when I was playing but we have got a responsibility to get out and about in the counties, push the game and make the counties more visible.

"I want everyone to see what cricket can do. So many kids watch it and think that’s not for me, it’s elitist, it’s expensive, it’s played by posh kids."

Addressing his motivations for embarking on the Field of Dreams project, he continued: "I’ve always wanted to do more in cricket. With my TV career, I don’t get to do too much cricket but it’s where I feel most comfortable.

"I have got ambitions. One of them was coaching England, possibly coaching Lancashire, but realistically the chances of me doing that is really slim. And is that where I’m going to be used best? If you’re coaching an international side or a county side, you’re just man-managing. This is the sharp end. It’s where you can have the most impact – engaging with kids who wouldn’t get a chance, the kind of kids I went to school with, and passing on your experiences."

"You’re either privileged or fortunate and I was definitely fortunate, I won the lottery of life with my family. We didn’t have much but for love and support, we couldn’t have had any more"

Flintoff himself is no stranger to cricket’s perception issues. He bucked the trend of privately educated cricketers to break into the England side and spent the best part of a decade playing regularly at international level. However, with his background, he admits he was just "lucky" to be born into a cricketing family.

"I went to a school on the estate in Preston and no one played cricket. The only reason I did was because my dad was 2nd XI captain. It was a family affair – my grandad, my uncle, everyone played – and that’s how I got into it", he said.

"Going back to school, it was all football all year round because cricket was seen as a posh sport. I joke that I felt like Billy Elliot. I played football for acceptance; I didn’t particularly enjoy it.

"When I was 13 or 14, I was offered scholarships to private school, but I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to be the poor kid at a posh school. It’s the best decision my family ever made because everything I learned at school stood me in good stead going forward. It was such a good grounding, and I wouldn’t swap it.

"You’re either privileged or fortunate and I was definitely fortunate, I won the lottery of life with my family. We didn’t have much but for love and support, we couldn’t have had any more."

However, while the series initially set out to inspire a new generation and potentially unearth "the next cricketer who’s going to play for their country or a county", cricket often ended up taking a "backseat". The biggest takeaway for Flintoff wasn’t the improvement in the group’s cricketing ability but the impact the sessions had on the participants.

"You talk about the things that sport gives – togetherness, teamwork – and I thought they were just buzzwords, and they’re things I took for granted," he said. "I saw in front of my eyes how powerful sport – cricket in this case – can be.

"Taking kids outside their comfort zone and at times embarrassing themselves but they kept trying and trying, and the biggest thing for me was seeing them coming together. These lads who you’d never put together in ordinary life, they all support each other. The response of the lads to [Adnan], he was describing it as a family at the end.

"I wanted to get rid of a few, that was my natural reaction, but then you realise that’s all these kids get. All they’ve had is people not backing them, so rather than confrontation they needed an arm around them, their tyres pumping up and someone to instil confidence in them and push them.

"As a sportsman, winning was everything – I’d do anything to win and it’s not something I’m proud of. I wanted them to win, play matches and be successful but seeing them development as lads and as people was bigger."

As for the legacy of the project, Flintoff’s goals are clear: "For the boys, hopefully we’ve given them something and shown them a sport they might carry on with or a sports club where they feel safe and a community will look after them.

"Hopefully, in our own little way, we’ll add to the future of cricket. Hopefully, kids watching will think, 'I want to do it, these lads are no different to me', and parents will think it’s an option for their kids. I hope other clubs will get involved too."

Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams, a three-part BBC series, will air on BBC One from Tuesday, July 5, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.