Andrew Flintoff has been pictured in public for the first time nine months after surviving a horrific crash on BBC’s Top Gear which saw his open-topped car flip over.
The former international cricketer, 45, suffered broken ribs as well as injuries to his face in the incident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13.
Having quit Top Gear, Flintoff has been making a quiet re-introduction to the game this summer and kept a low profile as a spectator at several Ashes Tests.
Today, his facial injuries were still visible as he sat next to Ben Stokes and Joe Root on the balcony during the 1st Metro Bank One Day International between England and New Zealand at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
At the encouragement of his great friend and England managing director Rob Key, Flintoff has spent time with the England Under 19s side and took the biggest step yet today within the senior dressing room in Cardiff.
Andrew Flintoff made his return to England cricket after joining the coaching staff as a mentor
Flintoff (pictured right, sitting next to Joe Root, left) was inside the senior dressing room for the first ODI international against New Zealand
The ex-international cricketer showed off his throwing skills (left) and sipped a coffee (right) while watching the game
Flintoff’s injuries were still visible nine months on from the crash which left him with broken ribs and facial bones
Onlookers say Flintoff may be seeking to explore coaching and mentoring opportunities in the game that made his name
Flintoff pictured in 2017 as the host of ITV game show Cannonball which featured a water-based obstacle course on Malta
It is uncertain whether Flintoff will resume his television career after the accident which left him badly injured and caused him to spend five weeks in hospital.
But it now looks certain that he will instead explore coaching and mentoring opportunities in the game that made his name.
Flintoff is one of the great all-rounders of the English game and was an iconic symbol of the famous side that won the Ashes in 2005.
In all he played in 79 Tests and 141 one-day internationals before retiring after England won the 2009 Ashes.
He made something of a comeback in T20 cricket in 2015 but was seemingly disillusioned with the game when he launched what had become a highly successful television career that culminated with the hugely successful Top Gear programme.
The father-of-four was ‘lucky to be alive’ when his open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 which didn’t have air bags flipped over.
Filming on the series was suspended while Flintoff recovered from his injuries and investigations took place, with reports the former professional cricketer was putting his TV career on hold.
Road smash: Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s horror crash sports car was not fitted with air bags, it has emerged
Disaster: The television presenter, 45, was driving an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 car for Top Gear in December last year when the vehicle flipped
One of the great all-rounders, Flintoff was an iconic symbol of the 2005 Ashes-winning side
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff (pictured) was seriously injured in a crash while filming the latest series of Top Gear
The former professional cricketer received facial injuries and broken ribs after the vehicle he was driving flipped over
Today, Flintoff appeared in good spirits as he spent time with the England U19s team in Wales
Flintoff looked animated as he watched from the stands during the first one day international match at Sophia Gardens
Flintoff chats to a coach ahead of the England versus New Zealand match at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff
Flintoff practices a few cricket moves on the pitch while working with the England team during the 1st Metro Bank One Day International
Flintoff (right) appeared to share a joke with the other cricket legends while watching England play against New Zealand
Reports said Flintoff had decided to leave the programme before the BBC confirmed in March it was halting filming of the following series, which had been set for release in the autumn.
An insider told The Times: ‘Freddie has been seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash. He is a daredevil, that’s what he does, and he doesn’t feel like he is able to continue to play that role on the show.’
The BBC said it would continue to support Flintoff ‘with his recovery’, adding: ‘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 judgment about how best to continue later this year.
‘This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support.
‘Finally there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures.’
Flintoff, who won the Ashes with England as a cricket player before into TV presenting, had been driving a classic-look £43,000 British handmade vehicle –which is described as a ‘motorised tricycle’ and does not have air bags, according to maker Morgan’s website.
In May, it was revealed several members of the Top Gear production crew who witnessed Flintoff’s terrifying car crash had been signed off sick indefinitely with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Mail on Sunday reported the high-speed accident and horrific injuries of the former England cricket star had a ‘significant effect’ on witnesses, preventing them from returning to work.
Sources say that there were many staff present at last December’s smash at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Park aerodrome in Surrey.
One said: ‘The scenes were awful, something you would truly want to unsee. The idea of returning to do that kind of work again for some people is just too much.
Top Gear staff are suffering from PTSD after watching Freddie Flintoff’s (pictured) horrifying car crash
Staff watched in horror as the 45-year-old crashed an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 car
‘It has been a terribly hard time for everyone involved in the crash. Some are still struggling with it so have been signed off work.’
Flintoff has yet to take any legal action, but it isn’t known if any of the production team have.
After the crash his wife Rachael reportedly begged him to stay away from work while he recovers, with an insider telling The Sun he would be ‘putting his career on hold until he is in a better place mentally and physically’.
They added: ‘As a loving husband and dad he understands the fear his family feel about what’s happened, knowing that he could have been killed. He is determined to resume his TV work at some point though.
‘That’s why this decision will be a painful one for Freddie, but he knows that, for now at least, there are more important things in life.’
After the incident his 16-year-old son Corey told MailOnline: ‘He’s OK. I’m not too sure what happened but he is lucky to be alive.
The TV host, pictured here with co-presenters Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, had been filming the latest series of the show, which was due to be aired this autumn
Flintoff’s family (pictured with his wife Rachael and three of their four children) reportedly begged him to stay away from the set while he was recovering from his injuries
The TV presenter, pictured here on a motorised trike during filming for a previous series of the show, is said to be ‘determined’ to return to screens at some point
‘It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he’s going to be OK.’
The smash came three years after the ex-cricketer narrowly cheated death following a 125mph crash.
In 2019, Flintoff was heard fearfully yelling ‘I can’t stop,’ as he hurtled head-first down a runway just inches off the ground in a three-wheeled cycle car.
He had been racing his co-hosts when he realised he was running out of road and about to overshoot the finish line – seeing him spin off in a cloud of dust.
Flintoff walked away from the ‘near-death’ crash unscathed, insisting he was ‘absolutely fine’.
He said at the time: ‘I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races but, on this occasion, I went a few lengths too far. It will look more ridiculous than dangerous when you see it on TV.’
Flintoff, who began presenting Top Gear in 2019, has also made regular appearances on A League Of Their Own and won the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
But he remains best remembered for his time as a tubthumping all-rounder, most notably during the Ashes victory in 2005.
The former England captain finished with 79 Test caps and 148 limited-overs internationals.
Now, Flintoff could become a more regular figure again within cricket and is so enthusiastic about his new role that he is believed not to have sought any payment.
England white-ball captain Jos Buttler said: ‘He’s been starting to do a little bit of stuff back in cricket and it’s just great for him to be around. He’s obviously an England legend and it’s nice for us to have him with the group.
‘He hasn’t been brought in with any specific role. He’s just here to observe and a few of the lads can pick his brains. He’s settled in really well and it’s great to have him with us.’