Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff has revealed that his notorious encounter with a pedalo boat during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies was a failed attempt to enjoy a nightcap with Ian Botham.
Flintoff was fined and banned for one match by then-England coach Duncan Fletcher after the drunken incident in the Caribbean, which saw the all-rounder rescued from the sea in the middle of the night.
Speaking in an interview on British TV, Flintoff explained that he had simply wanted a late-night drink with former England star 'Beefy' Botham.
Recounting how he found himself on the beach after a night of heavy drinking, Flintoff said: "For some reason I had this idea these boats out to sea - it sounds bizarre - but I knew Ian Botham was on one (boat) and I thought, 'I'm going to have a nightcap with Beefy.'
"I thought, 'I can't swim. That would be dangerous.' So I was going to get a kayak. I couldn't find the oars, so I dragged this pedalo into the water."
He added: "The next morning I woke up. I was on my bed, still wet and (with) sand between my toes. Then the door knocked. The door had these slats, and I thought it was the maid wanting to clean the room.
"So I said, 'Can you come back?' But it was the coach. I pulled the slats down and answered the door, and then Duncan just said, 'My room, now.'"
During the interview, 36-year-old Flintoff also reveals that he suffered from the eating disorder bulimia during his playing days.
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