Fred rules out captaincy

All-rounder concentrating on playing for England again at Headingley.

Last updated: 18th July 2008

andrew flintoff

Flintoff: No captaincy desire

I think I have an influence within the side the way I play my cricket and I just want to carry on with that.

Andrew Flintoff
Quotes of the week

England v South Africa
Live on Sky Sports
Second Test starts Friday
10.30am, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
Click here for listings
You can also follow it with full interactive commentary on skysports.com

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Andrew Flintoff returns to England action on Friday insisting that playing is now his only thought - as he has no desire to one day return to captaincy.

The Lancashire all-rounder pulls on an England shirt again for the first time in 18 months at Headingley for the second Test against South Africa.

After such a long spell out with injuries Flintoff is delighted just to be back on the field and is determined to prove he can find his form of old.

Flintoff's last England appearance came at the end of their humiliating Ashes whitewash Down Under, where he stood in for the injured Michael Vaughan as captain.

After assuming the job under the most intense of pressures, Flintoff has no desire to be Vaughan's long-term successor and says captaincy is now out of the question.

Flintoff believes he is best influencing a game just with his bowling and batting and says he will not be seeking out the England captaincy again.

"I'm glad I had a go at being England captain and at times I really enjoyed it," Flintoff said in the Daily Mirror.

"When you're not playing quite as well it makes the job much tougher.

"Being captain is not something I'm looking to do now.

"I think I have an influence within the side the way I play my cricket and I just want to carry on with that."