Andrew Flintoff intends to become England’s spy to aid their ICC World Twenty20 campaign when he embarks on his lucrative Indian Premier League adventure next week.

Flintoff has signed up for a two-week stint with the Chennai Super Kings and will earn $1.5m (£1m) on a pro-rata basis depending on the number of matches he plays in the tournament in South Africa. He believes the IPL will be the perfect stage to help him reach his peak this summer – and also provide him with the opportunity of spying on opposition players.

“It’s been frustrating with [injuries] and I think the IPL will be good for me,” said Flintoff. “I know I’m only bowling four overs a game, but it will give me a chance to work on my game in between games going into a Test series.”

Flintoff will get to mingle with players like Australia’s Matthew Hayden, India captain MS Dhoni, New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan at Chennai.

“The Twenty20 World Cup is going to be huge,” said Flintoff. “I’ll be watching the likes of Dhoni, who has played a lot of it, and Hayden who had a good IPL last year. I will be speaking to a few of the Indian guys and see if I can pick their brains. You’ll find players helping each other out.”

Flintoff opens his IPL career against Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians in Cape Town on 18 April before facing England team-mate Kevin Pietersen’s Bangalore Royal Challengers in Port Elizabeth two days later.

On his busy summer ahead, Flintoff added: “It is a long schedule and everyone is looking forward to the Ashes and making sure everyone is fit for that but I’ve stressed all along that we have to perform in all the games we’re playing.”

*South Africa crushed Australia by seven wickets to level the one-day international series at 1-1 yesterday. Australia batted poorly with the Proteas’ 19-year-old bowler Wayne Parnell claiming career-best figures of 4 for 25 to help bundle the tourists out for 131. Graeme Smith (40) and Jacques Kallis (31) posted a second-wicket stand of 69 but it was left to AB de Villiers to steer the hosts home with an unbeaten 36.
Source – independent.co.uk