Andrew Flintoff seen in public for first time since horror smash amid praise for new England cricket role
8 September 2023, 21:10 | Updated: 13 September 2023, 16:23
England cricket legend Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has been seen in public for the first time since his horror crash while filming Top Gear.
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Flintoff, 45, was seen on the balcony of Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Friday to watch England's opening one-day international against New Zealand, which they lost by eight wickets.
He is serving in an advisory role with the team for this series, and was praised by the team's captain Jos Buttler.
Flintoff, a former England captain was rushed to hospital last December after suffering severe facial injuries in an accident while shooting for Top Gear at an aerodrome in Surrey.
He was appearing publicly for the first time in about nine months on Friday.
England captain Jos Buttler said it was "great" to have Flintoff around the squad and he had "settled in really well"
Speaking after the hosts' eight-wicket defeat, he said: "So 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. It's great to have him with us. Just for this series."
A statement from BBC Studios earlier this year said it had "concluded its investigation into the accident at the Top Gear Test Track in Surrey last December, which regrettably injured presenter Freddie Flintoff".
It continued: "We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
"We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we'll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year. This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support."
Flintoff is said to have had to wait just shy of an hour for an air ambulance while the Top Gear team struggled to find a medical stretcher for him after his crash.
He is also believed to have been without a helmet in a car that was not fitted with an airbag
Flintoff played in 79 Tests and 141 one-day matches for England and was a pivotal figure in multiple Ashes triumphs over Australia. He ended his international career in 2009 after helping England to an Ashes series victory before he retired from all forms of the game in 2015.
He went on to launch a career in broadcasting, including featuring on Sky's 'A League Of Their Own' and BBC's Top Gear.
