Ashes defeat put Flintoff in spotlight

England paceman Matthew Hoggard believes no-one would care about Andrew Flintoff's drinking in Australia had the team performed better.

The all-rounder's behaviour during last winter's Ashes tour, when England were routed 5-0 in the Test series, has come in for criticism from then coach Duncan Fletcher.

"I wouldn't say that what went on off the field in Australia - while I was there at least - was any different from what happened in the West Indies in 2004, when we clinched the Test series 3-0," Hoggard told The Times. "When you're winning, people don't care about the negatives. When you go down 5-0, it's different."

He added: "If we had won the crucial second Test in Adelaide and perhaps lost the series 3-2, all this would have blown over by now."