• India in England 2011

England deserve No. 1 ranking - Flintoff

ESPN staff
August 4, 2011
Andrew Flintoff played a key role in England's 2005 Ashes victory © Getty Images
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Andrew Flintoff believes the current England side is better than the Ashes-winning team of 2005.

Flintoff was the hero of the Ashes-winning England side six years ago, but he believes Andrew Strauss' Test squad is much stronger than the side that ended 16 years of Australian dominance. Flintoff believes the 2005 team peaked at the right time, while the current side has greater strength in depth.

"This is a better side than the one we had in 2005," Flintoff said in the Daily Mirror. "The strength of it and the depth of it is incredible.

"In 2005 we had 11 players who had a memorable few weeks and played at their best for a period, but we never played together again. Colly [Paul Collingwood] came in for the last one, but essentially it was just a team.

"We had a few big wins before 2005, but it was all about peaking for that series and we did, but we couldn't sustain it due to injuries and retirements. This side has a squad and they are so strong. We've seen them replace players without blinking and it has made no difference to the performance."

After victories at Lord's and Trent Bridge, England are 2-0 up in the series and on the verge of replacing India as the No. 1 Test side in the world, and Flintoff believes Strauss' men fully deserve the accolade.

"They're the best team out there," he said. "There might have been a question before the start of the series but after these two performances there is no question."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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