Flintoff gives thumbs-up to Vaughan

Andrew Flintoff is enjoying the relaxed captaincy style of Michael Vaughan © Getty Images

Andrew Flintoff, who played such an immense role in helping England reclaim the Ashes, says he did not relish Nasser Hussain's leadership style and is now flourishing under Michael Vaughan's more relaxed approach.

In extracts published in The Times from his latest book, Being Freddie, Flintoff says it is not just coincidence that his best years as a cricketer have come under Vaughan, and not Hussain.

"I don't think it is any accident that I have played some of my best cricket under Michael simply because he encourages you to enjoy your cricket without fear of failure. I don't want to turn around and see my captain throwing his cap on the floor or kicking sods out of the ground or rollicking people right, left and centre. That doesn't make anyone feel better. I want his support."

Flintoff, who made his Test debut against South Africa under the captaincy of Alec Stewart in 1998, asserts that the difference in the atmosphere of the dressing room then and now is crucial to the team's resurgence.

"It is a totally different dressing room now. When I made my Test debut, members of the squad were so wrapped up in their own games that the mood was significantly different. I don't know if selfish is the right word for it, but there wasn't much emphasis on helping each other out."

"I have played in sides when there has been a disgraceful attitude, when even some of your team-mates were half-hoping you failed, but that's definitely not the case with the present day England team. Now we all enjoy each other's success,"he said.

Vaughan's captaincy, which began when he took over from Hussain against South Africa in July 2003, comes in for special praise.

"When Vaughan is in charge, he is very relaxed and chilled out and encourages people to express themselves, but Nasser was totally different to that. He was a lot more animated, ruled with more discipline and was more like a schoolteacher with us. He was a very passionate captain and also very astute, but he did it with a style I didn't particularly like. He was confrontational and put a bit of undue pressure on the lads at times. He used to eff and jeff at mid-on and throw his cap around," Flintoff said.