Stuart Broad is about to lay himself open to you, the terrifying general public. He’s working with AQA, that text-based, pub-quiz cheating, question-answering service and he wants your cricketing questions.

That’s ‘cricketing’…

So, go ask him whether his blond locks help his cricket? Go ask him if his boyish good looks help his cricket? Go ask him is his dad’s bad behaviour as a player helps his cricket?

Go terrify, general public, and report back.

It’s tomorrow – July 4 at 11am at www.aqa.63336.com.

Sussex allrounder Robin Martin-Jenkins kicks off his series of blogs about life in the county game with a first-hand account of facing a very fast Andrew Flintoff.

The last three and a half days have been the longest and most painful of Sussex’s season so far. In what is turning out as something of an annus horribilis for us, that’s saying something. In being beaten by Lancashire, we were thoroughly out-bowled on a placid pitch by a strong Lancashire seam attack which could have probably given some international batting line-ups a run for their money (or no runs). But of course all the attention was on Andrew Flintoff and it was just our luck that we should have to face him in his first game back from injury. The Sky Sports cameras were with us too and if he needed any more motivation to bowl well and fast then there was the small matter of the first Test match team selection only a few days away.

Not that it seems Fred needs any motivation to play for Lancashire. Despite all he has achieved in the game so far he loves playing for his county and certainly gives his all for them. Not for him the Prima Donna approach to county cricket that appears to surface when some other England stars make rare appearances for their county.

And yet despite this, he went wicketless in the game. Most of the wickets fell to the hard-working and skilfull Glen Chapple, and the much-improved Saj Mahmood. All of our batsmen reported that Fred was consistently hitting the bat harder than anyone they have faced this year, however. If anyone has ever wondered what it means when cricketers talk about bowling a ‘heavy ball’ then have a look at Flintoff slamming the ball into the pitch from nearly seven foot tall and watch closely how the batsman plays him compared with the other bowlers. When you face him the ball literally feels heavier on the bat. Mahmood probably bowled as quickly as Flintoff this week according to Sky’s speed guns but there is no doubt that Flintoff seemed the quicker to face.

And so the inevitable question arises. Were the England selectors right in overlooking Fred for the first Test? Given Geoff Miller’s job I’m sure the majority of people could not resist picking him and I have no doubt that he would be able to perform well for England. But I’m in agreement with the selectors about Lord’s and would give him one more game for Lancashire first. He’s had precious little cricket in the last year and when your body isn’t used to bowling long spells in highly pressurised situations, it’s likely to protest. England need to ensure he is ready to last not just the first Test, but the rest of the summer and the winter tour that follows. And only then will they also have a chance of repeating Ashes glory in 2009.

2008 is Robin Martin-Jenkins’ benefit year, visit www.rmj2008.co.uk for further details.