09 September 2023 , 09:50
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Andrew Flintoff was back in the public eye for the first time since his Top Gear crash on Friday night.
The former England great, famous for his Ashes contributions in 2005, was in the stands alongside the current squad as he assists with their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. Flintoff turned his hand to a career in television when he called time on his cricket exploits.
Now though, after several years on Top Gear, Flintoff has decided to quit the popular BBC show after a serious crash that has left its mark on the 45-year-old. He was wearing the battle scars at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens as England were well beaten by New Zealand on Friday night.
Injuries on display
Flintoff was left with serious facial injuries and broken ribs after an accident as Top Gear filmed at the Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. He had been driving an open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 at 130mph on December 13, which left him with visible wounds.
On Friday Flintoff was in the stands, wearing a bucket hat, but he had a very visible cut across his nose with tape still being worn. He also had a large cut on his chin as he got involved with various drills during the warm-up.
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The BBC announced that they had halted filming following Flintoff's crash. A statement read: “Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
The former cricketer was involved in a serious car crash (Popperfoto via Getty Images)“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.”
Impact on England's cricket stars
Flintoff's legendary status in English cricket has had an impact on the group with captain Jos Buttler hailing his influence. He is close friends with England's managing director, Rob Key, and is working with the men's team in what is believed to be an unpaid consultancy role.
The former all-rounder isn't expected to travel to India for the World Cup but his presence in the camp, which includes some major names, has been welcomed. The England captain 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.
Andrew Flintoff is currently helping the England set-up (Popperfoto via Getty Images)"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.”
Hammond's stance
Richard Hammond was part of the infamous trio that included Jeremy Clarkson and James May, who truly made Top Gear the success it is. They moved on to produce the Grand Tour on Amazon Prime Video, but the former host would love to see Flintoff back - despite his decision to walk away.
“Of course, very much," he said, when quizzed on whether he wants Flintoff to team back up with his fellow co-hosts. That appears unlikely however with the former cricketer still shaken up by his crash.
He has decided to walk away from Top Gear (BBC/Lee Brimble)A source close to Flintoff told The Times earlier this year: "Freddie has been seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash."
Meanwhile, former Top Gear presenter Angela Rippon told The Sun of the accident: "I was just so sorry as they [Freddie and his co-presenters] are not professional drivers and are asked to do things that even professional drivers very often would find difficult.
Hammond knows what it is like to be involved in a major accident having been left in a coma after flipping a jet-powered vehicle at 280mph on Top Gear in 2006. That said, he doesn't think that huge stunts are going to be canned anytime soon.
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He said: “I doubt it. I think in all television programmes, if you're taking risks you have to mitigate everywhere against those risks. But also we've all got to remember, and occasionally I'm reminded, just because we're on TV doesn't mean we're in some sort of magic-protected bubble. Real-world things still apply.”