Flamboyant England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff says he is excited about playing for the World XI and the chance of batting with cricketing greats like India's Sachin Tendulkar in the Super Series against Australia.
"I'm really chuffed about the World XI. It gives me the chance to share a dressing room with some of the best players in world. I could even get a chance to bat with Sachin Tendulkar, though I'll probably be wetting myself in case I run him out," Flintoff said in an interview to the Daily Telegraph.
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Flintoff, who is being hailed as England cricket's heartthrob following his exploits in the ongoing Ashes series, recalled his growing up days when he idolised Tendulkar.
"I remember when Tendulkar scored his first fifty in England. I was 14 and coming back from buying a new bat with dad. Now I'm in a team with people like him and Brian Lara. I just don't see myself as one of them; it's like I'm the mascot or something."
Talking about his enormous influence on the Ashes, Flintoff said, "I feel I do have an influence in the dressing room. It's an environment I feel comfortable in, though at Lord's I was probably a bit tense.
"Because I'd not played against Australia before, I placed too much emphasis on that first match. Since then, I've decided to relax and treat it as another game of cricket and it has gone well with both bat and ball in the same match.
"Although that's rare, it's what all-rounders strive for. Hopefully, I'll keep it going for another few weeks yet."
