Boycott blames management

Boycott - questioned England management.

By Jamie Gardner, PA Sport

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott believes coach Duncan Fletcher and his management team should have clamped down harder on Andrew Flintoff's past misdemeanours before his latest World Cup embarrassment.

Flintoff was fined, dropped from the England side to face Canada and stripped of the vice-captaincy after a late-night drinking session involving five other players on the evening England had lost their World Cup opener to New Zealand.

Fletcher revealed at the weekend that Flintoff had "been given warnings about his conduct and disciplined for previous incidents of this nature", but Boycott said: "That begs a question about the management.

"Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson telling someone three or four times? Alex Ferguson supports his players 100%, but if they don't act unprofessionally, (he doesn't) wait three or four times.

"If the coach is trying to tell us he's done it three or four times so this time I'll smack his bottom, well it doesn't fall very well with me - why did it take him three or four times? You are supposed to be in charge of the players and if they can't discipline themselves you should damn well discipline them. That is his job."

Boycott saved most of his disdain for Flintoff himself however, and told BBC Radio Five Live: "Losing is a part of the game but when you go and do silly things like staying out late and thinking it's a holiday and not work, then that doesn't sit well with supporters.

"I was surprised (by the incident). They are professionals, or they are supposed to be. It's easy to get sucked in in the West Indies - it's paradise.

"The sea is turquoise blue, the hotels are right on the beach, it's really picture-postcard. It's easy to get sucked in that this is a wonderful holiday place, well it is if all you are doing is holidaying.

"They have got to focus. It is all right to have a drink or two but it's not all right to have a skin-full and be out at 4am when you're playing a day later."

New Yorkshire captain Darren Gough, an international team-mate of Flintoff, felt the worst thing about the drinking incident was the timing of it.

"I love Freddie, he is one of the lads and a great team man," Gough said.

"He does like to let his hair down and I do as well. He will be the first to admit that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He shouldn't have been there after a game, but I'm sure Freddie wants to get out there and perform for his country."