Lancashire CEO lambasts Vaughan for flaying Flintoff

London, June 6 (UNI) England Skipper Michael Vaughan's accusations that Andrew Flintoff upset team spirit and derailed England's World Cup campaign has received flak from Freddie's county with Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes describing the comment as a ''kick in the teeth'' for him.

''I think it is completely out of order, it's despicable, and I think it stinks. We are talking about a guy who has given blood for England these past three or four years. Fred was the talisman in the Ashes series of 2005. You could almost say that he was responsible for 11 people getting gongs. Michael Vaughan was among them,'' Cumbes was quoted as saying by 'Guardian'.

Outraged by what he saw as a breach of the dressing-room code, Cumbes said, ''If you've got anything to say in a team situation, you keep it in the dressing room,'' adding, ''You don't blast it out across the airwaves or into newspapers.'' Trying to douse the fire, England's newly-appointed coach Peter Moores said, ''Sometimes quotes in the paper don't come out quite the way you wanted them to,'' he said.

However, he said Vaughan is in danger of achieving the same end himself for accusing Flintoff of damaging team morale.

Flintoff was one of six players to be fined for drinking in the wee hours after England's defeat by New Zealand in St Lucia.

He was axed soon for the next match against Canada, and was also stripped off his vice-captaincy.

Moores said Flintoff would be visiting Old Trafford, his home ground, to join the team today. However, Cumbes was not convinced.

''Fred won't bear any malice, because he's not that type of guy, but clearly he will be hurt by it,'' he said, adding, ''We may see in the next couple of days how badly he's hurt, according to whether he turns up or not.'' Meanwhile, Vaughan called up Flintoff at home in an attempt to heal the potential dressing-room rift following his scathing attack on the 29-year-old all-rounder yesterday.

UNI