Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is on the verge of a cricketing comeback after recovering from the horror car crash which forced him to quit Top Gear.
The 45-year-old is expected to be named head coach of Leeds-based cricket team Northern Superchargers, marking his first proper return to the sport since his playing career ended in 2015. Flintoff has been inching his way back into public life following the traumatic crash that nearly claimed his life, which happened while he was filming for Top Gear in December last year.
In recent months he's been acting as an unofficial mentor for England's cricket teams, but looks set to return to the game in an official capacity following the departure of Superchargers head coach James Foster last week. The franchise, who play 100-ball, finished dead last in the 2023 season, with five defeats in eight matches.
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According to The Telegraph, negotiations between Flintoff and the Superchargers could be wrapped up by the end of the week. It's also understood that the former all-rounder will be joined by ex-Lancashire team-mate Kyle Hogg, who is in talks to become the team's new assistant coach.
Flintoff spent four years as co-host of the BBC's flagship motoring show, Top Gear. He joined in 2018 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris in time for the start of the 27th season. In 2019 he suffered his first major crash while riding a head-first trike at 124 mph during one of the car show's signature competitions.
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He escaped relatively unscathed, but wasn't so lucky when he crashed for a second time three years later. He was airlifted to hospital after suffering numerous injuries in an accident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome while driving an open-topped, three-wheeled car at 130 mph.
The vehicle flipped and slid along the track, leaving Flintoff with severe facial injuries and broken ribs. He spent several weeks in hospital, and his length recovery left him in a "dark place" according to his family. The BBC, who paid Flintoff a £9million settlement, cancelled the rest of the series and announced they'd be re-assessing the show's safety precautions.
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Flintoff bore some of the scars from the crash after being pictured for the first time since the accident attending an England training session in September. He later described his recovery as "the hardest time of my life".
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