Cricket: Andrew Flintoff admits England cheated in 2005 Ashes series

Andrew Flintoff celebrates during the 2005 Ashes Test. Photo / Getty Images

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff has admitted that England went against the rules during their victorious Ashes series win over Australia in 2005.

Flintoff confessed to Australian show The Project last night that the side cheated when they used a substitute fielder during the fourth test at Trent Bridge, News.com.au reports.

"Remember in 2005 when you got that guy who was a gun fielder and he ran Ricky Ponting out? That was cheating, wasn't it?" asked co-host Waleed Aly.

"Yeah. Yeah of course it was," said Flintoff.

The substitute Gary Pratt ran out Australian captain Ricky Ponting in the second innings and England went on to win the test by three wickets and then the series 2-1.

At the time Ricky Ponting was furious saying it just wasn't cricket. Earlier in the series the skipper was also caught by a substitute fielder, and Flintoff admitted it was a ploy. Pratt wasn't on the field to replace an injured player, his sole purpose was to give one of the England fast bowlers a rest.

During the day-night test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide last week the hosts took a different approach to the substitute fielder using the team's masseur Gary Baldwin rather than a local player, which is often the case.

"Give him a break, he's living the dream," said Flintoff. "This poor lad day in, day out is rubbing Peter Siddle's glutes. He deserves an opportunity to get out on to the field.

"I'd have let him bat as well."

Flintoff said he was a big fan of the day-night test, won by Australia by three wickets over three enthralling days.

"I hope that they do it. I would love England to play day-night test cricket, we would be unbeatable," he said.

"Everyone's going on about the ball swinging, doing this and that, that's just what we do. It would be ideal.

"Ultimately the public are going to decide what they want to watch, and it says that 120,000 odd people watched the Test match. It is a success."