Flintoff was a good influence on CSK: Fleming

Andrew Flintoff may not have justified his $ 1.55 million price tag but the star England all-rounder, forced out of the Indian Premier League due to injury, was a "good influence" on the Chennai Super Kings, according to coach Stephen Fleming.

Andrew Flintoff may not have justified his $ 1.55 million price tag but the star England all-rounder, forced out of the Indian Premier League due to injury, was a "good influence" on the Chennai Super Kings, according to coach Stephen Fleming.

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"He bowled very well for us in the second game. But AB de Villiers had his day. He (Flintoff) has been a good influence as well. It's such a fine line between having a good day and a bad day," Fleming said.

Flintoff had to withdraw from the tournament due to a knee injury, which would require surgery. The all-rounder, costliest in IPL along with England teammate Kevin Pietersen, could not live up to the pre-tournament hype during his very short stint with the team.
But Fleming is not complaining.

"We are not going to get carried away. Flintoff is one of the great all-round players certainly I have seen. So, no concerns there," he told the IPL's official website.

Fleming, who has no previous experience in coaching, said he has settled into his new job and though the challenges of being a coach are different, he has not found it tough to adapt.

"The change hasn't been too much because I still have the playing aspect of my game if any of the boys get injured or lose some form. I still have the playing aspect. So the coaching side of things is great," he said.