Andrew Flintoff, the former England captain, appeared publicly for the first time since he was injured in a car crash while filming for the Top Gear show. He has joined the England support crew for their current ODI series against New Zealand.
In December of last year, there was a high-speed accident involving Flintoff during the filming of the BBC show Top Gear, where he has been one of the co-presenters since 2019. This unfortunate incident led to his hospitalization for treatment of broken ribs, as well as injuries to his face and jaw, and he had to be airlifted for immediate medical attention.
Recently, in his first public appearance after a nine-month absence, Flintoff was seen wearing a bucket hat, displaying noticeable scars on his face, and having his nose taped. He was sitting alongside Ben Stokes and Joe Root on the balcony of the England dressing room. According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, Flintoff is good friends with managing director Rob Key and even attended several days of this year’s Ashes series as a spectator, although he managed to keep the extent of his injuries away from the cameras.
Jos Buttler, England’s captain for white-ball cricket, expressed his delight at having a former all-rounder with the squad who possesses a deep understanding of English cricket. It’s a valuable asset to have someone who truly knows the intricacies of the game, Buttler added.
“He’s been starting to do some stuff in cricket, it’s just great for him to be around. He’s obviously an England legend and it’s just nice to have him around the group, he’s not been brought in with any specific role, just to be around and observe. A few of the lads can pick his brains a little bit and he’s settled in really well,” Jos Buttler was quoted as saying by India Today.
In the currently ongoing ODI series between England and New Zealand, the opening match had England taking the batting crease first. With strong displays from Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, and Liam Livingstone, England managed to put up a total of 291 runs in their first innings.
In their pursuit of this target, New Zealand executed their game plan successfully. Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway both produced magnificent hundreds, propelling their team to a commanding eight-wicket victory in the opening ODI.
