Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams

This is the antidote to COVID stats and post Trumpian fallout

First let me say that as an Aussie male of 51, there have been times in my past during Freddies playing career when i would have been duty bound to heckle the man, but not this day

On having seen 2 episodes so far, its heartwarming to see not only Freddie's genuine personality and care shine through, but to see how quickly he takes a ragtag bunch and soon has them turned from disinterested into believing in themselves.

Im genuinely astonished at what Adnan from Afghanistan has been through in his young life and to see how he has adapted to life in England, learning to speak English and showing raw talent. Along with the rest of the boys who perhaps dont get a lot of positive reinforcement in their lives, and who perhaps have sadly perhaps bought into a narrative that they dont matter, to see them quickly bond and support each other hopefully means great things ahead. I hope so.

Pint on me Freddie if youre down this way....

What we have here is the cricket version of the popular Sky program School of hard knocks. One of the great failings of English cricket team has been the reliance on the private school system to produce our players when there must be so much talent that never get the chance to play because it's been dropped from the school curriculum, or there is simply no opportunities for inner city kids to play. I was shocked that these kids have never heard of Joe Root or James Anderson.

The show is basically about Flintoff trying to get these wasters who are more interested in their mobile phones than playing cricket. Some of these kids you really wonder if they are worth the effort, they have no discipline or respect. And then in the second program comes a 16 year old refugee from Afghanistan. His amazing story of how he got here is heartbreaking and inspirational in equal measure. He is polite, kind, grateful and a talented cricketer who is just grateful to have chance to play the sport he loves. Unlike those ungrateful wasters who don't know how lucky they are.

My only complaint is this is only three episodes, there is so much more I would like to have seen not just in cricket but how playing the game which is all about fair play and sportsmanship changes them as human beings at all. 9/10.