FORMER England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has admitted his side cheated during the 2005 Ashes.

Speaking on Channel 10’s The Project, Flintoff said England’s use of substitute fielders during that series went against the rules and spirit of cricket.

“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.

While the comment was met with laughter, Flintoff did not appear to be joking.

His remark refers to the work of England substitute Gary Pratt who, while fielding at cover in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, ran Ricky Ponting out with a direct hit after Damien Martyn called him through for a quick single.

Ponting was furious Pratt was on the field, and made his anger clear to England coach Duncan Fletcher as he walked off the ground. Fletcher, who was watching on from the dressing room balcony, appeared to smirk at Ponting as he made his way to the pavilion, and the Australian captain let fly with some choice words.

Australia went on to lose that Test and ultimately the series, 2-1.

Ponting’s discontent was fuelled by Australia’s belief that Pratt was not acting as a substitute fielder because one of the England players was off injured, but rather, he was only on to give one of their fast bowlers a rest.

Australia held this gripe for the entire tour, believing England was, illegally, using the best available fielders from county cricket as a tactic so their bowlers could leave the field to freshen up.

One man who didn’t field so well during the recently completed day-night Test in Adelaide was Australia’s team masseur Grant Baldwin. Baldwin came onto the field as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Starc but misfielded a ball late on day two, leading former players Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden to question why he was allowed on the field at all.

But ever a man of the people, Flintoff said he would have given Baldwin even more to do than just field.

“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 onto the field.

“I’d have let him bat as well.”

While clearly that last remark was made with tongue firmly in cheek, the 37-year-old was a fan of the inaugural day-night Test match. He said he wants England to adopt the format because it is perfectly suited to their style of play.

“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.”

He might get his wish sooner rather than later because, as far as he’s concerned, day-night Test cricket is here to stay.

“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.”