Flintoff the key: captains
Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting both pinpointed Andrew Flintoff as the vital player in Tuesday's semi-final between England and Australia.
Rival captains Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting both pinpointed all-rounder Andrew Flintoff as the vital player in Tuesday's Champions Trophy semi-final between England and Australia here at Edgbaston.
Flintoff, 26, recently crowned ICC One-Day International Player of the Year, has been in commanding form in both Test and one-day cricket during the past 12 months and his 104 in Saturday's victory against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl was instrumental in securing England's passage into the last four.
"The way he's playing, he's a guy you want in your team," Vaughan told reporters at Edgbaston on Monday.
"Hopefully, if he takes the form he has had in the last 12 months into tomorrow's game because if he does that he is certainly our match-winner and I'm sure the Aussies will be thinking exactly the same."
And Ponting, also speaking at Edgbaston on Monday, said: "Obviously, he's been a fantastic player for England over the last year in both forms of the game, particularly his one-day batting of late has been outstanding.
"We spent a bit of time talking about him at our team meeting yesterday (Sunday) but no more than anybody else. We've got a few things we might try against him tomorrow."
England are set to field the same team that beat Sri Lanka by 49 runs in Saturday's rain-affected game.
But Australia have a selection dilemma with Ponting admitting the world champions were tempted to go in all guns blazing with a four-man pace attack featuring Brett Lee, their quickest bowler, in place of emerging all-rounder Shane Watson.
Were Lee to be included, he would take his place alongside Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz in a formidable seam bowling attack.
"I think we've got in our squad at the moment four very good fast bowlers who have all done fantastically well over a long period of time in all conditions," Ponting said.