Flintoff seen with England team in first public appearance since 'Top Gear'

Andrew Flintoff made his first-ever public appearance after his gut-wrenching car accident on the TV show 'Top Gear'. He will be with the England cricket team as a mentor for the New Zealand series

Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was seen sitting alongside Ben Stokes and Joe Root during the first match of the four-match series against New Zealand at Sophia Gardens Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday, September 8, 2023.

This is Flintoff's first-ever public appearance since his car accident while shooting for Top Gear in November 2022.

A close friend of Rob Key, who is currently England and Wales Cricket Board's Managing Director of Cricket for the men's team, Flintoff was given a chance to be alongside the team as an unpaid gig, said a news report in PA News.

An Ashes hero, Flintoff will be available with the team for only the four ODIs against the Kiwis, confirmed England captain Jos Buttler.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony after the team's 8-wicket humbling, Buttler 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," the captain said about 45-year-old Flintoff.

Starting his career in 1998 against South Africa in Nottingham, Flintoff played for 10 years as a genuine all-rounder, picking up 400 wickets and scoring 7,315 runs in 227 games across all formats for the English side.