Andrew Flintoff opens up about drinking, depression and drama

Andrew Flintoff opens up about drinking, depression and drama: Ahead of the release of his latest autobiography ‘Second Innings’ the great England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has shared the unknown secrets of his life and the rigours behind a glowing celebrity life. The former England talisman also revealed that Cricket gave him sleepless nights.

He says that he wasn’t one of the game’ greats but that he never intended to be one. He also commented on the England Australia banter which spiced up many a Ashes contests. He also spoke candidly about his habit of regular drinking and the most tough phase for him – depression. Here are some excerpts from his book reported in Sportsmail.

In a shocking and honest revelation Freddie told how he was unhappy with an article in the ‘News of the World’ unfairly commenting on his performance and wanted to put that out of his mind. This is how he did it.

“I took three Viagra one night and didn’t realise how long they lasted. Trying to bat the next day in that state was not easy. I was run out, simply because I couldn’t move. I could only hop. It wasn’t worth it, either. Complete waste of time.” Flintoff tells the Viagra story during his stage show that is making its way round the UK.

“Cricket gave me sleepless nights,” he admitted. “David Lloyd (the former England and Lancashire coach) once told me never to put my helmet on until I got to the batting square”.

‘Let them see your eyes. Walk out as if you own the place. And that’s what I always did. The truth is that I never felt like I owned anything. It was all an act. I was just scared.’

All these years after the retirement Flintoff has revealed himself to be a man of intense contradictions. He talks about Andrew, the man he believes to be the ‘real’ Flintoff and Freddie, the fast-living, fast-bowling cricketer.

‘The mask became the man and it was exhausting,’ he writes. Flintoff’s new book is about triumph and failure. It is also about weakness and how to deal with it.

In recent years Flintoff has been diagnosed with depression and has subsequently stopped drinking. He retired from cricket without knowing how to pay a household bill. ‘Cricket doesn’t prepare you for life and that’s embarrassing,’ he said.

After six years of being away from cricket he tells that his search for peace is over. ‘I have tried [to replace cricket] but, nah, not now, not any more,’ he said. ‘I have boxed, done extreme sports. But no, I don’t need that and I know it now. I was driven by competition but it brings out the best and worst in me, the win-at-all-costs thing. So I don’t miss that, don’t need it.’

He also goes on to make a declaration that ‘drinking unlocked something fundamental in his cricket’. In the 2003 series against South Africa, for example, he made 142 after sinking 10 pints with Steve Harmison the night before.

‘Well, sometimes alcohol helped, When it came to acceptance for a start. Bumble (Lloyd) was like my dad at Lancashire and when he left my proper drinking started. I was good at it and it served a purpose’ he said.

For Flintoff, the bad times were always pretty bad. The pressure of losing an Ashes series proved too much as he broke down in front of his father in a Melbourne apartment on Christmas Eve, 2006.

‘I am not generally a crier but I cried that night,’ he revealed. ‘I just thought I had let him (Vaughn) down.’

Flintoff’s emotional ups and downs occasionally led him to seek help but only after his career ended, did he hear what he had started to suspect. Referring to the 2007 ODI World Cup he said, “I took wickets and everybody was celebrating around me and I just felt nothing, absolutely nothing”.

‘I thought I was ill. I went to the team doctor. I had no idea what was wrong. I know now. I have seen experts about it and it was a relief to be told what it was.’

When asked about whether he is taking anti-depressants, Flintoff is candid. ‘I have at times, yeah,’ he said. ‘That’s fine. I haven’t for a while but I get checks. Everything is great at the moment, life’s good. Sometimes you feel something and you know it’s there again.

‘But I know what it is and that’s reassuring. Usually it passes’. Freddie said.