Piers Morgan, an English Broadcaster and television personality, recently revealed that he received a text message from former England cricket star Andrew Flintoff after a silence lasting eight months.

Flintoff’s cricket career highlights

Flintoff, renowned for his international cricket career spanning from 1998 to 2009, etched his name in cricket history despite career-disrupting injuries. The Lancashire all-rounder played pivotal roles in England’s Ashes victories in 2005 and 2009 on their home turf.

Flintoff’s accident and absence

Last December, former England all-rounder Flintoff made headlines when he was airlifted to ??the hospital after a Top Gear filming accident in Surrey, resulting in facial injuries. This inci?dent brought series 34 of the show to a halt. Subsequent??ly, Flintoff largely kept a low profile.

Flintoff’s return to cricket

However, on September 8th, Flintoff made a public appearance at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens to watch England’s opening one-day international against New Zealand. The 45-year-old return to the cricketing scene was facilitated by his friend and former teammate, Rob Key, who currently serves as the managing director of the England team. While Flintoff had attended this year’s Ashes series as Key’s guest, he remained out of touch with Piers Morgan for eight months.

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Morgan’s concern

During this period of silence, Morgan had been attempting to contact his “old mate” Flintoff through WhatsApp, expressing his concern and interest in Flintoff’s well-being. Nevertheless, he did not receive any replies, leaving him worried about Flintoff’s condition.

“And for eight months, there was no reply; just a constant, increasingly unsettling silence from a guy who I’ve known for 20 years, texted with very often, and who I consider a great friend. The longer the silence went on, the more worried I grew about what exactly had happened to him in an accident I knew he’d been lucky to survive,” Morgan was quoted as saying by mirror.co.uk

Morgan’s efforts to gather information

Morgan extended his inquiries to Flintoff’s wife, Rachael, and members of Flintoff’s management team in an attempt to gather more information about his friend’s condition. Nevertheless, he only received vague responses, with references to Flintoff being “periscope down.”‘

“I texted him, and Rachael, to say how happy the photos had made me, and to my amazement, Freddie replied,” the 58-year-old added.

Finally, Morgan receives a response from Flintoff

After eight months of silence, Piers Morgan received a? response from Andrew Flintoff, marking their reconnectio??n and bringing an end to the prolonged period of uncertainty and concern.

“I won’t say what he wrote in his message because he’s said nothing publicly yet about what happened that fateful day last December, and it’s for him to choose what he wants to say when he decides to say it. But he sounded very positive, and said he was loving being back around the cricket world again,” Morgan concluded.

Also READ: Tim Southee dislocates his right th??umb bone; New Zealand surrounded by three major injury threats ahead of ODI?? World Cup 2023

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Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff has been hospitalised after he was involved in a car crash while filming for BBC’s TV Show ‘Top Gear’. The incident took place when Flintoff was filming with a crew at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey on Monday (December 12).

“Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately. He has been taken to hospital for further treatment, and we will confirm more details in due course,” said BBC in a statement.

According to a report in The Sun, Flintoff was taken to the hospital by air ambulance, and his injuries aren’t life-threatening. The report also mentioned that the former all-rounder was driving on the track as normal and not going at high speed.

“Freddie is in hospital after a crash on Top Gear. He was driving on the track as normal. He wasn’t going at high speeds – it was just an accident that could happen to anyone. All the usual health and safety measures were in place for filming too,” said a source as quoted by The Sun.

“Freddie was taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly afterwards. His injuries are not life-threatening and he is receiving treatment. Filming has been postponed for now, and all anyone cares about is Freddie recovering,” the source added.

Notably, ?it was not the first time that Flintoff had been involved in an accident since he first began presenting the show. In 2019, he crashed into a market stall in Nottinghamshire. Then, in September of the same year, Flintoff crashed during a drag race while filming at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.

Flintoff, who joined the Top Gear show as a host in 2019, bid farewell from the sport in 2009 after playing 79 Tests, 141 one-da?y internationals and seven T20s for England.

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During Christmas last year, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff broke the news of the birth of his and wife Rachel Wools’ fourth child.

In their 15 years of matrimony, Freddie and Rachel were already proud parents ??of Rocky Flintoff (12), Corey Flintof??f (14) and Holly Flintoff (15).

Moreover, the couple kept the expectation of their fourth child d??iscreet during the entirety of the pregnancy, before Ra?chel arrived with a bump at the Attitude Awards.

Now, the renowned cricketer turned boxer has revealed the reason behind naming his son ‘Preston’ as a tribute to the city he grew up in Lancashire.

“Little Preston was born at Christmas â€?it is the first time I’ve actually spoken about it. But yeah, we have got another baby and it has been nice spending time with him,” Flintoff told talkSport.

The news came in as a shocker for fans as the couple previously decided that they were not planning for more kids,?? back in 2016.

“We thought about it. I originally wanted five but you have three and that felt like enough. I couldn’t go back to the nappy stage now,” the former all-rounder told The Sun, earlier.

Further, Flintoff reckoned that having kids improved him as a cricketer at the professional front, wh?ere he ended up more free and relaxed.

The watershed moment of the marquee all-rounder arrived during the historic 2005 Ashes seri??es, which came right after the birth?? of his first child Holly.

“My career at the time, I started doing really well. Everyone said that couldn’t happen, but it put everything into perspective. I actually got better,” the popular TV presenter told the First Time Dads Podcast.

“You start thinking, ‘You know what? I’m dressed in whites, we’re chucking a ball around and trying to hit it.’ Although it WAS the most important thing, it now isn’t. It frees you up, especially with batting. I started scoring a lot of runs because I wasn’t bothered about getting out,” Flintoff concluded.

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The gentlemen’s game over the decades has witnessed a paradigm shift in competitiveness, especially with the onset of limited-overs cricket.

The cricketers are subjected to intense pressure situations as well as a gruel??ling schedule with travelling. Some players also deal with homesickness as well as mental fatigue.

Also, there were certain taboos attached to the unwellness in the past years. But in recent y?ears, the issue has received a lot of attention and acknowledgement as a severe ailment.

Today, let’s have a look at the five international cricketers who quit international cricket citing mental health disorders.

1.) Marcus Trescothick

England boaste??d an explosive opener in the fo??rm of Marcus Trescothick, whose career span was cut short due to mental fatigue and depression.

Trescothick, in tandem with Nick K??night, formed a dynamic opening partnership for the Three lions. At ??the peak of his career, aged 32, Trescothick had the urge to go back home during the 2006 India tour.

Later that year, Trescothick announced his retirement from the game, revealing he was copi??ng with depression.

“The depression’s not over. I’m not ‘cured’. I have good days and bad days, but when the bad days come, I feel them coming, and I know how to act,” The Telegraph quoted Trescothick.

2.) David Bairstow

Bairstow, who played 25 internationals in the late 90s, also underwent mental stress and issues, which was initiate?d post-illness of his wife, Janet.

The wicket-keeper went on to accumulate several financial issues, along with drinking and d?riving charges in 1997.

3.) Jonathan Trott

In Jonathan Trott, England found a reliable numbe?r three batsman who?? notched up some memorable tons in his career.

However, it all changed with the 2013 Ashes series Down Under, where Mitchell Johnson ripped apart England’s batting lineup with a barrage of vicious bouncers.

After being hit by Johnson, Trott decided to leave the tour abruptly and announced his retirement from the game due to a “long-standing stress-related condition”.

Although he played County Cricket for Warwickshire, in?? 2018 he called it quits citing anxiety disorder.

“Just coming down to breakfast, I’d sit on my own away from the guys with my cap over my head because I didn’t know how I was going to react to having to go to the cricket ground again. I was waking up looking at the clock hoping the clock had stopped, or that a pylon had fallen on the field and the game had been cancelled, or the stadium had collapsed â€?as long as there was no one in it, of course. You end up thinking of all sorts of ways you wouldn’t have to go to the ground,” Trott told The Independent.

4.) Andrew Flintoff

One of the biggest stars produced by England cricket in recent years, all-rounder A??ndrew Flintoff also battled through mental health issues which ??forced him to draw curtains to his international career in 2010.

Flintoff was the player of the series in the historic 2005 Ashes series. In the high-octane series, he contribute?d exceptionally in all d??epartments.

However, their Ashes glory was short-lived as ?the English team suffered a whitewash Down Under in 200??6-07 seven. The series had a hard effect on Flintoff as he resorted to drinking.

“I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I knew when I got back to my room I couldn’t shut off, which is why I started having a drink. It got to the stage where I was probably drinking more than I should,” Flintoff told the Guardian.

5.) Sarah Taylor

Another England cricketer who suffered mental health issues was wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor, who won the 2017 Women’s World Cup at home.

Taylor was renowned for her lightning glovework and had 232 dismissals to her name. Als?o, sh??e was amongst the top scorers in world cricket.

However, Tay??lor shocked the English cricket community after announcing her retirement from the game citing anxiety-related issues, which took a toll on her batti?ng.

“This has been a tough decision but I know it’s the right one, for me and for my health moving forward,” Sarah Taylor said.” I can’t thank my teammates enough, both past and present, and the ECB for being supporters and friends along my journey. I am extremely proud of my career. I leave with my head held high and with excitement for what my future holds and what my next chapter brings,” Taylor said in her statement.

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The 2005 Ashes between England and Australia is arguably the best Test series t??o be played i??n the history of cricket.

The second Test at Edgbaston proved to be one of the tightest matches of the series, with the see-saw battle going until the la??st ball of the game.

One ?of the English cricketers who single-handedly took his side to victory was all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

First, he bolstered the English total wi??th his handy 68. Then, he came back to take three wickets with the ball.

With his team tottering at 101-7, Flintoff shepherded the Three Lions to a competitive total, with his precious knock of 73 off just?? 86 balls.

However, Freddie Flintoff recently opened up the sledging he received from the then Australian captain Ricky Ponting, while at the crease, fighting fo??r his side.

“I can never forget Ricky Ponting in the second innings sledging me,” Flintoff spoke of the incident during the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“I stood there with Kevin Pietersen, he looked and he made a joke to his team going. ‘Here we go boys, look at the two superstars! They’re going to be happy with these two, aren’t they’. And it’s like ‘Jog on, Rick! Jog on,” Flintoff added.

Flintoff was unplayable in the second innings as he picked up four wickets, which included the prized scalp of Ponting, along with Justin Langer, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne. Flintoff walked away with the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his outstanding all-round efforts.

For once, Warne’s valiant knock almost took the victory out of the jaws of England, along with Brett Lee at the other end.

The spi?n-wizard criticized Ponting for his decision to field first and conceding more than 400 runs on the? very first day.

“Punter’s (Ponting) decision to bowl first was just the worst decision ever, by any captain. So take a back seat, Nas (Nasser Hussain), Punter has got your back,” Warne told foxsports.com.au.

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Yuvraj Singh,? during the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa,?? lit up the tournament with his six-hitting feat against England.

In the 18th over of India’s innings, Flintoff was handed the ball, and in turn, he faced the brunt of Yuvi’s blade. The southpaw dispatched Flintoff for a couple of boundaries off successive deliveries.

During the over change, Yuvi and Flintoff engaged in a verbal duel with an intervention from umpires, who had to mellow?? the sit?uation down.

The result of the sledge from Flintoff led to a rookie Stuart Broad facing the consequences. Yuvraj, who was already in destruction?? mode, dispatch??ed Broad for six consecutive maximums in one over. Only Herschelle Gibbs achieved the feat in international cricket.

“I had hit Flintoff for two boundaries on good deliveries, and he did not like it. And after that over, when I was walking to the other end. I can’t repeat exactly what he said. He told me that those were some ridiculous shots. So I asked him what did he say and had a confrontation,” Yuvraj told Vikrant Mehta of Sports Tak.

“I will cut your throat off,” said Flintoff to Yuvraj. To which the Punjab swashbuckler replied by saying, “You see this bat in my hand. Do you know where I am gonna hit you with this bat?”

It was during the altercation with Flintoff which ignited the will of sending every ??ball over the ropes for Yuvi.

“So the umpire interrupted us, but I was very pumped after that argument, and I had decided that I have to send every ball out of the park now. Luckily it was my day,” concluded Yuvraj.

Later that night, Yuvraj walked away with the man of the match award. He s?till holds the record of smashing the quickest half-century in T20I cricket, with a 12-ball fif??ty.

Yuvraj, meanwhile, scored 58 runs off 16 balls in the match, with the help of seven si??xes and three fours.

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England’s tour of Pakistan in 2005-06 was the last time the Three Lions toured the country. The high-octane series holds a special place in the career of former Pakistani fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar.

The star-studded English team were on a high after featuring in the famous Ashes series that summer – termed as the best series ever when it comes to Test cricket.

England team, then, fought hard and did not shy away from frequently sledging the opp?osition. One of the sledges during the series was delivered by former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

In Akhtar’s words, Flintoff mocked him by comparing his physique with Tarzan, the famous comic book character, but said he bowled like Jane.

The verbal duel fi??red up Akhtar? and in turn, put his career back on track. For which, he remained grateful for Freddie Flintoff.

“Freddie, I’ve got to be thankful to you. Had it not for you, my career would have long gone. In that series against England, if you wouldn’t have treated me, I’m not going to say badly, but you motivated me enough to get back into the side,” Akhtar said in a conversation with Flintoff at TalkSport’s podcast.

Further, Akhtar conceded that Flintoff’s behaviour was rude. Also, the Rawalpindi express intended to hurt the English players, especially going after Flintoff.

“I thought that the behaviour was a bit rude towards me and I thought you could not fully understand me. And on top of that, you said a famous line, ‘You look like a Tarzan, but bowl like Jane’. I said this Jane can bowl fast, let me show this guy to you,” concluded Akhtar.

The result of a fired-up Rawalpindi Express was him clinching 17 scalps in the series. His best coming in the final Tes??t match at Lahore, where he picked a fifer.

Pakistan won the three-match T?est series by a margin of 2-nil and wrapped up the subsequent ODI series by 4-1.

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Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff is regarded as one of the best all-rounders to have played the game. He was a talisman and a livewire in the field who single-han??dedly won his team many matches.

Apart from being an entertainer and a valuable asset for the English cricket team, Flintoff was also good at sledging. Who can forget his famous sledging incident with West Indies’ Tino Best at Lord’s in 2004. Now, the Lancashire player has revealed another funny sledging incident, but this time it was with Pakistan’s speedster Shoaib Akhtar.

While facing Akhtar in 2005, Flintoff was annoyed by Akhtar’s comments as the pacer kept calling him fat.

In response, ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, hit back at Akhtar, stating the then fastest bowler looked like a Tarzan, but he bowled like Jane. However, Fintoff’s jibe didn’t go well as Akhtar shattered his defences and sent the off stump for a walk.

“He kept calling me fat, and I was like I’m not having this. So, as I walked out, I told Shoaibâ€?you look like Tarzan but you bowl like Jane. Which haunted me straightaway as, on the first or second ball, my off-stump was cartwheeling backwards & as I walked off he went OOHHH,” Flintoff said while talking with talkSPORT.

Here is the conversation:

😡 “Akhtar kept calling me fat!�/p>

😳 “As I walked out I said ‘Shoaib, you look like Tarzan but bowl like Jane’�/p>

😫 �st or 2nd ball my off stump was cartwheeling backwards & as I walked off he went ‘OOHHH!’�/p>

Brilliant story from @Flintoff11 about facing @Shoaib100mph in 2005 🤣 pic.twitter.com/6gXVyj2Xfa

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 8, 2020

Flintoff played 79 Tests, 141 One-Day Internationals (O?DIs), and 7 T20I games, in which he amassed 3845, 3394 and 76 runs, respectively. He also grabbed 226 wickets in the longest format, and 154 scalps in the white-ball cricket.

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Test cricket comes alive whenever Aust??ralia and England meet in the prestigious Ashes. The thrill, excitement, nerves, nail-biting moments, crowd cheer, sledging and whatnot, the Ashes contains every flavour that a cricket fan wants to see.

There have been so many contests between the two countries which grabbed crowd to their edges in the Ashes; still, the 2005 Edgbaston Test is considered to? be the best contest ever played between the two nations.

Now, former Australian captain, Ricky Ponting has gone down memory lane to recall the epic contest which was won by England. Ponting reacted to Andrew Flintoff’s fiery over from that match, a clip of which was recently uploaded by England’s official Twitter account.

In that classic encounter, Australia were chasing 282 to win the Test and take a 2-0 lead. And ??their openers got the team off to a decent start. The pair added 47 runs together before Flintoff struck in the very first over of his spell. He was on fire in that game. Then came Ricky Ponting, who was the captain of Australia back then.

Ponting faced the heat for the rest of the over. The ball swung left, right and centre and Ponting had no clue whatsoever. After surviving a f??ew deliveries, the over came to an en??d. However, there was a twist as Freddie overstepped the last ball and Ponting was left to face yet another delivery.

Flintoff pitched the ball full and outside off, but it just moved away enough to tackle the outside edge of Ponting’s bat, and he was a goner.

Punter recalled the delivery which trapped him – a ‘classic reverse swing’ at over 90 mph. It also saw the audience present at the stadium go berserk as the Aussie skipper walked back. Ponting termed it as the best over he has ever faced.

Best over I ever faced. Class reverse swing at 90odd mph! //t.co/EUdN9P64Cr

— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) April 10, 2020

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