Sea rescue for 'drunk' Freddie
From Julian Guyer in Gros Islet, St Lucia | Sunday, March 18, 2007
Several England World Cup players have been fined for a "breach of team discipline." it was announced yesterday.
And a British Sunday newspaper claims drunk vice-captain Andrew Flintoff had to be rescued at sea at 4am.
Team spokesman Andy Walpole said in a statement the breach took place here Friday, following England's six-wicket defeat by New Zealand in its opening Group C match at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
The players - understood to be James Anderson, Ian Bell, Jon Lewis and Liam Plunkett - were, a source said, fined for a late night drinking session at the Rumours Nightclub near the team hotel in St Lucia.
They had been out late ahead of the second game with Canada, a match England must win to qualify for the second phase, Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Fans who witnessed events then contacted several British newspapers to tell them what they'd seen.
Back in England, the News of the World, the country's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper, said vice-captain Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff had been involved in a separate incident of his own.
Under a file picture of Flintoff in cricket gear with a bottle of beer and the caption: "Bender: Flintoff", it carried the headline "Ship-faced Freddie in shock 4am sea rescue."
Its back-page headline, "Sunk 'n' Drunk - Freddie fined after pedalo booze shame," topped a story saying Flintoff had to be rescued at 4am after capsizing at sea following, what it said, was England's "disastrous" defeat to New Zealand.
Rival tabloid The Mail on Sunday quoted an unnamed English fan saying: "It seems extraordinary that hours after losing the biggest one-day game of their careers and 30 hours before playing in a match they cannot afford to lose, they are out drinking until the small hours. I don't blame the players but how could the management have sanctioned that?"
Other players who were also reportedly out are believed to have avoided disciplinary action because of their earlier return to the hotel.
Tthe players are not subject to a formal curfew, the general view of coach Duncan Fletcher being that what his squad get up to beyond the boundary is not a matter for him provided it doesn't interfere with their cricket.
The breach was reported to the England team management at breakfast time yesterday, and the decision to fine the players involved taken at a subsequent team meeting, attended by the whole squad and management.
Walpole refused to name the players involved, the extent of their fines, or the exact nature of the breach
www.foxsports.com.au
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That's what happens when you visit the caribbean! You get drunk!
tell me about it!!! We worshipped them like Gods and thi is what they give!!! 2 fuckin' duck's and a bunch of underperformances, even after surprisingly gettin S.L out for a pretty low score for their standards!!!
