Freddie will do a great job: Botham

London, Mar 1: Former England captain Ian Botham has rubbished suggestions that the additional burden of captaincy on Andrew Flintoff will have any bearing on his performance because according to him, if anyone is capable of springing a surprise in the ongoing Test series against India, it is the lanky Lancashire allrounder.

''Mark my words, Flintoff will do a great job. He has all the credentials to be a successful leader because in addition to his natural talent, he has a good cricket brain,'' Botham wrote in the ''Mirror''.

''Far from cramping his style, Freddie Flintoff's sudden rise to the England captaincy will bring out the best in him,'' he said.

Botham said Flintoff was the best man to lead the side after the English side was hit by injuries.

''After the chaos of Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones being crocked, Marcus Trescothick flying home in mysterious circumstances and players going down like ninepins with illness or injury, I couldn't think of a better man to inspire England in a crisis,'' he said.

The former England captain said he could not think of anyone other than Flintoff to steer the side in the crisis and maybe win the series for them.

''I can't think of a better place than India for Flintoff to show his tactical prowess. He is now the complete cricketer and if he plays as we know he can in this Test series, he will be lionised by one billion people,'' he said.

''Can England win the series from here? Of course they can - with Flintoff at the helm, anything's possible,'' he added.

UNI