Freddie Flintoff would get rid of players shouting Howzat! if he was allowed to change anything about cricket.
The England legend took 226 Test wickets and was more than accustomed to a passionate appeal to the umpire – or ‘begging’, as Fred put it!
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He was asked on Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast to reveal the one thing he would change about the game and he picked how players appeal.
Flintoff said: “One rule with cricket? I would make it compulsory for everyone around the world. It’s a compulsory sport in schools and everywhere.
“I would stop shouting ‘Howzat!’, because I don’t know what it means. What is it? Why do you turn around as grown men, shout at a bloke with a long coat and usually a hat and shout ‘how is that?’
“It makes no sense whatsoever. I’m sure people will text in or tweet in.
“I don’t know what it means and I don’t know why we do it! We could just ask the question ‘is that out mate or what?’”
Breakfast host Laura Woods said: “But it doesn’t sound the same though. ‘Was that out?’
“Did you used to shout ‘Howzat?’”
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Flintoff replied: “I used to shout a variation of things, just a shout, usually begging.”
He may not have liked it but ‘Howzat!’ certainly helped Freddie take 400 international wickets during his playing career.
Do you agree with Freddie that cricket should do away with Howzat!? What would you make players shout instead?