Cricket Trivia: Cricket throwback Andrew Flintoff ran from toilet to ground to abuse Sourav Ganguly

There have been some teams on the cricket field between which there has always been a fierce rivalry. But some players were also such that the collision between them turned into many stories. One such rivalry was between former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly and former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison tried to narrate this through an old anecdote.

In those days whenever the teams of India and England used to face each other in any format, the fans were eager to see Sourav Ganguly and Andrew Flintoff clash. When former England fast bowler Steve Harmison made a guest appearance on former Australian spinner Brad Hogg’s program ‘Test of Time’, he told an anecdote from the 2002 Test series between Dada and Freddy.

Steve Harmison told how he dismissed former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for 99 runs during the Nottingham Test. It was also Harmison’s debut match. When Ganguly was returning disappointed after missing a run from a century, Flintoff ran to the field from the toilet to scold and utter some abusive words.

In this program, Steve Harmison said, “Don’t know what was the problem with Sourav? Maybe people didn’t get along with him quickly. I remember I was playing in my debut and on the very first ball of an over I hit Ganguly. was dismissed for 99. Andrew Flintoff had gone to the toilet a few minutes earlier, but as soon as the news of Ganguly’s dismissal reached, Flintoff ran to the ground so that Ganguly could be called some abusive words and really- to be heard.”

Regarding Ganguly, the current BCCI President and former captain, Harmison further said, “Ganguly is a lovely person but I don’t know what was it with him that people could not be friends with him quickly.”

It is worth noting that the story of waving shirts in the air between these two legendary players was also very much discussed. He had earlier attempted to tease Ganguly by twirling his shirt in the air at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai after winning a match on the tour of India, but in the final of the NatWest Trophy 2002 at Lord’s ground when India defeated England to win the ODI series and the title. Then Ganguly also gave a befitting reply to Flintoff and the English team by swinging the shirt in the air from the Lord’s balcony in the same manner.