Johannesburg: South African skipper Graeme Smith feels Andrew Flintoff's surprise decision to shun England's central contract for a 'freelance career' was influenced by the huge finacial rewards that has come into the game recenlty.

Smith said the ICC needs to look into the matter seriously and plan the Future Tours Programme in a more meaningful manner to avoid the mass exodus of players.

"I don't think you can blame the individual, but it's an interesting time for cricket, and interesting to see where it goes now. The crucial aspect is the decisions the leadership makes in the future. The ICC needs to give cricket a good direction, and crucial to that is how they look at the FTP because the decisions they make around that are going to be so important for the future of the game," Smith told a cricket website.

"I don't think you can blame Fred for the decision that he's made. He's had a very successful career, and at this stage of his career, he wants to maximise his worth and really take control of things. He's had a number of injuries, and for his own good, he needs to take control of the few years he has left in him.