Smash hit

“The management felt enough is enough. At some stage you have to have some strong management, even with your best cricketer. Well done England for finally for having some strong management.”

Hussain felt the England team had no option but to discipline their star player as there was a danger other members of the squad would think it was acceptable to behave similarly.

“This is a pretty young side. A lot of the team look up to Flintoff and if you keep saying it’s okay for Freddie they will think ‘If he is doing it, I can do it’.

“This will now send a message to the others that this is not how you prepare as an England cricketer. Footballers don’t drink 48 hours before a match.”

Bob Willis, another former England captain, was highly critical of Flintoff.

“I think Freddie has been making a fool of himself since the celebrations of the 2005 Ashes,” he said.

“This is not the first time it has happened and I fear it won’t be the last but I hope he can actually take stock of himself.

“He can’t behave like that. Some of the players in the squad are only going to have one opportunity to play in a World Cup and they don’t need their talisman behaving like that.”

Former Australia opener Michael Slater felt it was right England took action now against Flintoff.

“I think it’s a good message. You need to make an example at certain times and that message has to run through the team,” he told Sky Sports.

“If it is Freddie (who is disciplined) then that is strong message. Everyone will learn from it.”

Slater also questioned the decision to make Flintoff skipper for the recent Ashes tour in the absence of the injured Michael Vaughan.

“Why was he made captain for Australia? This is part of Flintoff - he is a free spirit - but you can’t have a captain carrying on like this.”

Former international seamer Andrew Caddick has blasted all England’s players for their late-night drinking exploits after four members of the squad - thought to be James Anderson, Ian Bell, Jon Lewis and Liam Plunkett - were fined for a late-night misdemeanours.

“I think it is quite right the England management have stamped on this straight away,” he said.

“To be out till three or four o’clock after a match in which you have lost - you should be back at the hotel thinking about what has gone wrong not out gallivanting round enjoying yourself.

“There are certain individuals in the side that do like to have a jolly but there is a time and a place.

“Duncan has been very strict on those sorts of things in the past. There is always a time when he will say ‘Go let your hair down lads’ but not during a World Cup.

“I don’t think it is a great scenario for the lads. They are not doing themselves any favours carrying on the way they are carrying on.

“This is a World Cup and you should be doing everything as a player to enhance your performance - not going out nightclubbing during the actual tournament.”