Killing the goose(-worma)

Martin Johnson once again, this time showing concern over the signs of fatigue beginning to tell on Freddie.

The player who might be feeling it more than most was the one England have constantly relied upon to bail them out with the ball when they've most needed it, but yesterday Andrew Flintoff finally suggested that there was barely a drop of petrol left in his tank. He's a Rolls Royce turned into an auto rickshaw, chugging around at 2mph, belching black smoke, and shedding various bits of bodywork every time he hits a pot hole.

It was a no-brainer that Freddie had been Vaughan's go-to man throughout their recent success but probably Vaughan has been going to him a bit too much

When in doubt, give the ball to big Freddie has been the captain's mantra, which is now beginning to look like the equivalent of handing Michelangelo a bucket of emulsion and a paint roller

It would probably be right for England to give the man a break now, in the not-so-consequential ODI series against Pakistan, than face the prospect of a un-inspirational performance, or even a break down, in the much more important Indian tour. Although its quite unlikely to happen, what with Vaughan and Giles already slated to give it a miss and the commercial/sponsorship considerations and generally the 'importance' attached to such series (case in point..recently the Aus selectors wanted to rest Gilchrist for the Nz ODI series, but CA put its foot down, saying it would diminish the importance of the series, with McGrath already rested)

Martin, meanwhile, has this to say about the spin 'attack' of England

On the evidence of this tour, the only association between England and spin is when they put their damp socks into the dressing room tumble drier.