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Andrew Flintoff Joins Moeen Ali At England's Practice Session For 2nd Test Vs India

Arnav Chopra

Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff Alongside Brendon McCullum (Source: @englandcricket/X.com)Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff Alongside Brendon McCullum (Source: @englandcricket/X.com)

In what is coming as another positive news for the English cricket side, former all-rounder and legendary pacer Andrew Flintoff has joined the backroom staff before the second Test against India. The high-profile second game of the five-match Test series will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Andrew Flintoff Follows Moeen Ali In Joining English Camp

In what is turning out to be a gold mine for the English cricket side after their solid victory against India in the first Test, former cricketers Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff are now part of the backroom staff, albeit for a short span of time.

This news comes after we previously revealed that Moeen Ali, former off-spinning all-rounder, joined the English camp on Monday, helping spinner Shoaib Bashir with training. Following this, the retired fast-bowling pacer and the 2005 Ashes hero, Andrew Flintoff, has now joined the English camp for their final practice session at Edgbaston in Birmingham, before the next game, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

It is revealed that Flintoff will practice with the pacers to assist them in the conditions at Birmingham, where the pitch is expected to be batting-friendly, alongside assisting spinners from the third day onwards.

Furthermore, the PTI reported that Ali was only at the venue for a day and would not be taking on a full-time role with the team, which head coach Brendon McCullum leads alongside spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel.

Additionally, there were reports that the English camp was hoping to gather some knowledge from Ali's past experience playing at Birmingham, which could be beneficial for the team as they prepare to face the Edgbaston challenge against a strong Indian lineup.

Moreover, when discussing the reason behind bringing in Flintoff, English skipper Ben Stokes confirmed that it was more of a morale boost, as having former legends in the dressing room always helps create a positive environment, which in turn can help the players prepare for their game.

Having Legends Is Necessary, Reveals Stokes, After Moeen Ali's Guiding Session

Speaking about the matter, Stokes further revealed that Bashir, after his chat with Moeen, was buzzing, as he picked Moeen's brain, who has himself been a witty customer with the ball.

“It doesn’t always have to be in a boardroom or around a table talking about specific things…I think it’s great for Bashir to meet Moeen… It’s amazing they’ve been met until yesterday, which I found amazing. Bashir is absolutely buzzing… Times that we can get people like that into the dressing room and offering their advice to specific individuals is, it’s great for this team."

The fact that the Birmingham pitch is expected to offer turn for the spinners puts Bashir into the spotlight, where he will have a crucial role in this encounter.

As for the second Test between India and England, it will be played from July 2nd at 3:30 PM IST, whereas the first one at Headingley, Leeds, was won by England by five wickets after they chased down a mammoth 373 on the final day.