Neale helps Flintoff prepare

5:36pm Wednesday 5th November 2008

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FORMER Worcestershire skip-per Phil Neale has been helping Andrew Flintoff improve his batting for the upcoming tour of India.

The England all-rounder has been working on his batting against spin bowling. The 30-year-old hopes it will help improve on the form that saw him dismissed eight times in 11 matches by spin when they toured India in 2002.

Flintoff averaged just 20 with the bat on that tour and he is hoping that this work with Neale, batting-coach An-dy Flower and Neil Fairbroth-er will help deliver the type of innings he is capable of.

“I’ve been working hard on opening my game up a bit more against spin, particularly with Andy because he was one of the best players in the world against spin,” said Flintoff.

“I’ve known Phil a long time, I’ve been on under 19 tours and ‘A’ tours with him and I’ve had some good chats with him about my batting because he’s seen a lot of it.

“We’ve been going to the nets and he’s been throwing balls at me and he’s helped me get back to basics — watching the ball hard, keeping my balance and playing to my str-engths.

“That was pretty much what I was doing at the end of last season and it worked. The big thing now is that I’ve got a plan of how I want to play — when you’re not playing too well you’ve got so many shots going through your mind you almost panic.”