'Fletcher is a sour man'

Geoffrey Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott says coach Duncan Fletcher should have helped Andrew Flintoff if he thought the England all-rounder had a drink problem.
Fletcher's new book details an incident when Flintoff arrived at practice in Australia incapacitated by alcohol.
But Boycott told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He's a sour man with a sour book.
"You're there to help with batting, bowling, conduct or way of life. If Flintoff had a problem he (Fletcher) should have done something about it."
Fletcher's book is being serialised in an English tabloid, but while there has been no reaction from Flintoff himself, there has been plenty of debate within the game about the revelations.
Fletcher pulled no punches in his description of Flintoff's state during a nets session in Sydney in February.
Ironically, Flintoff captained the team to a win in the Commonwealth Bank Series final the following day at the end of an arduous tour which had included the 5-0 Ashes drubbing.
But Fletcher wrote: "When it came to trying to catch the ball I honestly thought I was going to hurt him, so uncoordinated was he."
Boycott, a former England captain and Yorkshire star who hit more than 8,000 Test runs, came back at the Zimbabwean.
He said: "I don't think anyone would buy the book unless he mentioned some of the big names.
"So he had a go at Andrew, Steve Harmison and past legends like (Sir Ian) Botham and myself.
"I was always going to be in the black book because I was the first person to say it was time for him to go, that he was past his sell-by date.
"But what will get people more than anything else is him having a go at Flintoff and Harmison when he was their coach.
"You're entitled to your opinion in a free society, but don't take the moral high ground as soon as you're finished.
"I would try to be loyal to the players if I was their coach."
Boycott said Fletcher had never really appreciated the job that journalists such as him -- a Test Match Special commentator and Daily Telegraph columnist -- had to do.
"When you work in the media your job is to give your views to the public, not be his cheerleader," he said.
If Fletcher felt he had been unfairly criticised by a journalist, you would see him "deliberately walking around all day looking so glum... as if he had piles," added Boycott.
Flintoff's father Colin told the Lancashire Evening Post: "I'm disappointed Duncan Fletcher has betrayed Andrew's confidence.
"These comments from Fletcher have upset him. I'm disappointed because there is no bigger team player than Andrew.
"He is a loyal person and he has always given his heart and soul to England.
"He has always played for the team, wanting to help those around him. He is that type of person, putting the team first."