England duo in hot water

Andrew Flintoff will be under fire from angry fans again after it emerged today that he joined a 'booze cruise' with Steve Harmison in the West Indies after England had been sunk in the First Test, writes David Lloyd.

Flintoff and Harmison are said to have spent Saturday night aboard the six star' superliner Silver Shadow while most of their embarrassed colleagues stayed out of sight at the team's hotel in Kingston following a sickening innings defeat in Jamaica.

England's former captain and leading fast bowler were helicoptered back to base the following morning and an ECB spokesman insisted: "We trust the players and would stress we received no complaints about them."

Flintoff's last major tour to the Caribbean, for the 2007 World Cup, ended in disgrace when he was suspended for a game after a drinking bout which ended in the early hours of the morning when he took a pedalo onto the water and had to be rescued.

There is no suggestion that Flintoff and Harmison had too much to drink aboard the liner, with Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove insisting the players had declined all free alcohol while he was with them.

But their decision to go aboard with guests including ex-England players David Gower and Allan Lamb, puts an unwanted spotlight on Flintoff in light of the Fredalo' affair and looks at odds with Harmison's comment, immediately after Saturday's defeat, that: "I've never felt worse in my career."

One unnamed fan in the Caribbean is quoted today as saying: "They should have been keeping a very low profile so soon after the defeat. It's time the team focused and at least appeared to be more disciplined."

England have been in crisis over the past few weeks with claims that the row which cost captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores their jobs has left behind a team lacking unity and ruined by jealousy.

Moores made a quick return to cricket today when he was appointed Lancashire head coach.