Patel : For the city

London, Sept. 2: The Indian-born mayor of Preston, councillor Bhikhu Patel, reckons he is passing Norman Tebbit’s “cricket test” (immigrants should support England) with more than flying honours by fast-tracking the bureaucratic procedure required to make Andrew Flintoff an honorary freeman of the city where the England all-rounder was born and brought up.

“There was a bit of opposition when I suggested it at a full council meeting last night,” said Patel, who became mayor three months ago.

“Some councillors felt that there was a proper procedure but this would have taken a year or even longer,” he added.

Patel said he was not willing to wait that long.

“I wanted it now when Flintoff is at the height of his powers and before the fifth Test. I support England, and I want England to win the fifth Test and the Ashes and I want Flintoff to be declared man of the series.”

Patel came to Britain from Gujarat in 1964. He works as a race equality officer for Lancashire County Council and has kept in touch with Preston’s 12,000 Muslims during the recent troubles.

“Many of the Muslims here are Indian Muslims,” he observed. “Race relations are on the whole very harmonious.”

There was even a growing “Muslims for Flintoff” movement, he disclosed.

“The idea that Flintoff should be made an honorary freeman came from various quarters but I thought instead of going through all the bureaucratic procedures, I would propose the motion myself,” Patel told The Telegraph.

“This is the highest honour the city can bestow on an individual.”

Flintoff, who is now 27, grew up in Launderdale Road, Ribbleton, and attended Greenlands Primary School and the City of Preston High School.

The son of cricket enthusiast, Colin Flintoff, he began playing the sport at an early age and was signed for Lancashire Under 11s, aged nine. From there he went on to play for Lancashire, leading to his England debut in 1998, aged 20.

Preston, explained Patel, is 30 miles north of Manchester and half way between London and Glasgow.

“Flintoff will help me to put Preston on the map, nationally and internationally,” he said.