Drunk Freddie almost sank; rescued but fined

London, Mar 18 (UNI) Hours after the Kiwis rocked the English boat in their opening World Cup match, a boozed-up Andrew Flintoff was rescued from a sinking pedalo when he ventured into the sea after an eight-hour binge with teammates.

According to the 'News of the World', the former skipper grabbed a pedalo from a beach near the team's five-star Caribbean hotel at 4am after an eight-hour bender with team-mates.

He dragged it out to sea and was seen rocking it from side to side before it capsized. The hotel staff promptly moved into action and saved the England's cricket posterboy, who was out for duck against New Zealand ealier in the day.

Freddie and four of his team-mates were disciplined following the bender at the Rumours club in St Lucia's Rodney Bay area for breaking a midnight curfew.

While the former captain and fellow Ashes hero Ian Bell were fined. Fast bowlers Liam Plunkett, James Anderson and Jon Lewis were docked part of their match fee by head coach Duncan Fletcher at a meeting of the team's players and management.

According to an eyewitness Flintoff was boozing at the club like there was no tomorrow.

''Freddie was drinking beer as if it was going out of fashion. It was just like the scenes when they won the Ashes in 2005.

''Flintoff's perfomance was far superior off the pitch than it was on. The other players weren't much better. They were all over the place. The last thing on their mind was cricket.'' This, however, was not the first time Andrew Flintoff was involved in a drinking spree. After England's amazing Ashes victory against Australia in 2005 the team went on a marathon drinking session and turned up drunk for their official reception at Downing Street the following day.

Flintoff, then captain, was pictured red-eyed on the bus during the team's victory parade through London. He later denied claims he had peed in a flowerbed in No10's garden.

UNI