Sacrifice.

CRICKET hero Freddie Flintoff has chosen to miss the birth of his second child so he can captain England in India.

The Ashes star said yesterday that putting country before family was a sacrifice but the right decision.

And his loyal wife Rachael has given her full backing.

Freddie, 27, has been handed the leadership role for the first time due to a crisis in the tour squad.

Regular skipper Michael Vaughan has a knee injury and his deputy Marcus Trescothick has flown home with personal problems.

But Rachael is due to give birth during the third and final Test in Bombay, starting on March 18.

And Flintoff has now abandoned his original plan to opt out of the five-day match if necessary and fly to her side.

The Lancashire all-rounder told BBC Five Live: “It is a sacrifice I have had to make, but I feel I am very much making the right decision.

“It is a hard decision, but Rachael is very supportive of it. She is very proud I have been made captain.

“I’ve spoken to her a couple of times in the past 48 hours and we made the decision together.

“It’s a chance to lead the team and my country. I’m very proud to be asked."

Top man, and a sacrifice no doubt. However it does not quite match this...........

BRAVE former soccer boss Jimmy Sirrel had an even more agonising decision than Freddie Flintoff 22 years ago.

The Notts County manager carried on as normal after wife Cathy died suddenly in front of him just hours before a home game against West Brom in the old First Division.

Sirrel, now 84, kept the tragic news to himself until the match was over.

The Scotsman said last night: “It was my situation, not the players’ problem. What had happened had happened. That was my way of dealing with it.”

Reporters knew nothing about Sirrel’s loss until one asked him after the match if there had been any injuries.

“No injuries,” he replied. “But Cathy died this morning.”