Ben Stokes explains Freddie Flintoff's guest starring role in England vs India series

Ben Stokes welcomed Freddie Flintoff back into the fold as a guest auxiliary coach to put a spring in England’s step.

As Flintoff’s cabaret rekindled spirits in the dressing room ahead of Wednesday's second Test with India at Edgbaston, Stokes revealed the importance of visiting dignitaries for his impressionable young side.

The England captain admitted he emptied the tank after being detained in the field for 209 overs in last month’s five-wicket triumph at Headingley. And a morale-boosting audience with the clown prince of Preston was ideal medicine as Stokes eyed a 2-0 lead ahead of next week’s showpiece at Lord’s.

He said: "It's been a constant thing for us, to get some of the greats who've represented England into the environment, helping out. It's amazing how many good conversations you can have in a social environment. It doesn't always have to be in a boardroom or around the table talking about specific things because those conversations that come out of nothing are just as important.

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"The more times that we can get people like that into the dressing room and offering their advice to specific individuals is, you know, I think great for this team.”

Stokes and Flintoff know the demands of batting, bowling and captaincy like the back of a flip-chart. And Stokes, who sent down 35 overs - by far his biggest workload as a bowler since major knee surgery in 2023 - at Leeds admitted: "I feel better now than I did Thursday and Friday. It was a big week.

"I used the three days after that game to offer absolutely nothing to the world. I was a shadow of my normal self. It just goes to show how much five-day Test matches take out of you.

"But I'm all over that hnow and ready to go again. Let's hope we can produce something similar. Obviously going 1-0 is a good start, a very tough-fought victory for us and a long five days, but now it's about getting back to zero and focusing again on the win here.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to perform that role without thinking about how much I’m going to bowl.

“Physically and mentally, captaincy is a bit more fatiguing when you have been out in the field for as long as we were.”

Flintoff, who once flogged himself through 68 overs of a draw against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, and Stokes are well-qualified to compare notes on heavy workloads - but have never spoken earnestly about the demands of captaincy on all-rounders.

Stokes said: “We both know how hard it is - how hard you have to work because you have both skills to worry about. But I don’t think we’ve ever sat down and had a conversation about how hard it is being an all-rounder.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to perform that role without thinking about how much I’m going to bowl. Physically and mentally, captaincy is a bit more fatiguing when you have been out in the field for as long as we were at Leeds.

“I watched Fred growing up - I remember 2005, even before that. If you’re a cricket fan he’s someone you gravitate towards because of his character and what he did on the field. It’s classic when he’s about because he’s a great man and loves his cricket.

“The world he went to (on TV) after he stopped playing (was very different) and now he’s back here, working with the Lions, the Under-19s, and it’s great having someone like him to find the love for cricket again, but also the next generation of players coming through.”

Stokes is bracing himself for another onslaught from Indian maverick Rishabh Pant, whose twin hundreds at Headingley were not enough to prevent India from sliding to defeat.

“Even though he’s my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket. I love the way he take it on in all formats of the game,” said Stokes.

“He’s got a bit of stick in his time, but when you let that type of talent be free, that’s what happened last week. We know we’re going to get our chances with the way he plays, and on a different day it could have looked a little different if one of those had gone to hand.

“But he’s a very dangerous player and I don’t think there’s going to be very much change in the way he takes it on.”