Freddie Flintoff opens up on his return to cricket with England after life-changing car crash: 'It took me 10 goes to leave my bedroom'
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- Flintoff suffered a near-fatal car crash filming Top Gear in December 2022
- He returned to cricket after and is now in charge of the England Lions side
- The star has opened up on his return to the sport and the anxieties he faced
Freddie Flintoff has opened up on his return to cricket after a life-changing accident that saw him left with both physical and mental scars.
The former England cricket star turned television presenter was left with horrific injuries after the car he was testing on the BBC motoring show flipped over at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey over two years ago.
Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car when it overturned and crashed off of the Top Gear test track on December 13 2022 during filming.
The car is an open-topped motor capable of hitting 130mph - and the cricketer wasn't wearing a helmet when the car flipped over.
Despite the car being equipped with roll bars designed to protect occupants in the event of turning over, Flintoff suffered severe facial injuries and broken ribs.
Following the crash, Flintoff has returned to cricket in a coaching role, and is now working with England Lions following a stint with the Under-19s and senior team. Speaking to The Telegraph, he has revealed how it felt to return to the cricket spotlight in Cardiff for a one-day international against New Zealand.
'That day in Cardiff, it took me 10 goes to leave my bedroom,' he said. 'I couldn't get out of the room.
'In that hotel room I was so anxious and worried. I eventually went down to breakfast, sat down and chatted with Reece Topley and then Jos [Buttler]. I had to go back to my room to get my baseball mitt and flicker and I was waiting for the lift again and heard footsteps. I knew it would be Stokesy [Ben Stokes].
'I didn't really know him then. I've built a great relationship with him since, but I was anxious about that, standing in the lift with him. We were both stood there. He's Stokesy and I am supposed to be like that, I suppose, but I didn't feel like that.
'I got on the team bus. Jonny Bairstow came and sat with me. I've known Jonny since he was young, from playing with his brother. In the dressing room, Joe Root came over, one of the best men you'll ever meet, and everyone made me feel so welcome. Slowly but surely I started to find my feet. And sitting on the balcony and being pictured. Even the press were nice about me. It's amazing what an accident can do.'
Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show in April, Flintoff admitted he did not leave the house for around six to seven months as he attempted to cope mentally with his scars following the accident.
Last year, he joined England's coaching staff as a mentor, going onto work in various different rolls before landing the job with the Lions.
After working with the senior side as a mentor, he joined up with England's white-ball teams as an assistant coach in the away series in West Indies and the Twenty20 World Cup before taking his first head coach role with Northern Superchargers.
He is now growing in confidence, adding: 'It's always going to be there, but in a strange way, I've got an acceptance of it now. I'm not fighting it. I still get flashbacks at night and anxiety and other stuff but I know it's happening and I'm accepting of it.'
