Andrew Flintoff facts for kids
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Flintoff in 2016
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| Full name |
Andrew Flintoff
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| Born | 6 December 1977 Preston, Lancashire, England |
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| Nickname | Freddie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Rocky Flintoff (son) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 591) | 23 July 1998 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 20 August 2009 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 154) | 7 April 1999 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 3 April 2009 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 2) | 13 June 2005 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 19 September 2007 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2009, 2014 | Lancashire (squad no. 26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Chennai Super Kings (squad no. 11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014/15 | Brisbane Heat (squad no. 26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 23 April 2020
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Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff (born 6 December 1977) is a famous English TV presenter and a former international cricketer. He was known as one of the best all-rounders in cricket. This means he was great at both fast bowling and batting in the middle of the team's batting order. He was also a good slip fielder. The ICC, which is like the world governing body for cricket, often ranked him among the top all-rounders in both ODI and Test cricket.
After starting his career in 1998, Flintoff became a very important player for the England team. He was named "Man of the Series" in the exciting 2005 Ashes series. He even led the team as captain and vice-captain. He stopped playing Test cricket in 2009 and retired from all other forms of the game in 2010. Later, in 2012, he had one professional boxing fight and won! In 2014, Flintoff made a comeback to play Twenty20 cricket for Lancashire and then for Brisbane Heat in Australia.
Since fully retiring from cricket, Flintoff has been busy with many projects. He has designed his own clothing line and appeared on TV shows like I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (which he won!) and A League of Their Own. In 2019, he became a presenter for the popular car show Top Gear. He continued with the show until he was injured during filming in late 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Beginnings
Andrew Flintoff was born in Preston, Lancashire, England. His father, Colin, was a plumber and also captained a local cricket team. Andrew went to Greenlands Community Primary School and Ribbleton Hall High School. When he was 14, he traveled to Argentina for the first time.
He got the nickname "Freddie" in school. People called him this because his last name, Flintoff, sounded like "Fred Flintstone" from the famous cartoon.
Freddie finished school at 16 after passing nine GCSEs. He played cricket for the Lancashire Schools teams when he was younger. He was also quite good at chess. Before playing for the senior England team, he spent two and a half years playing for the England under-19 cricket team.
Becoming a Cricket Star
Rising to International Fame
In 2002, Freddie Flintoff scored his first century (100 runs in one innings) in a Test match against New Zealand. By 2003, he started to show why people compared him to the legendary cricketer Ian Botham. His batting and bowling improved a lot.
In 2003, he scored a century and three half-centuries in a Test series against South Africa. He continued his great form in the West Indies in 2004, taking five wickets in one match and scoring another century. Because of his excellent play, he was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in early 2004.
Even when an injury stopped him from bowling, he played as a specialist batsman in a One Day International (ODI) series in 2004. He scored two centuries in a row and hit many sixes. In one match, he hit a six that almost landed in his father's hands in the crowd!
He was named the best One Day International player of the year by the ICC in 2004. He also became a father that year.
The Famous 2005 Ashes Series
After an ankle surgery, Freddie worked hard to get fit for The 2005 Ashes series against Australia. He recovered faster than expected.
In the second Test match at Edgbaston in August 2005, he broke a record by hitting nine sixes in the match. He scored 141 runs in total and took seven wickets. England won this thrilling game by just two runs. Freddie was named 'Man of the Match', and the captain, Michael Vaughan, called it "Fred's Test."
Flintoff scored another century in a crucial win at Trent Bridge. In the final Test, he took five wickets, helping England secure a draw and win back the Ashes. This was a huge moment for English cricket.
For his amazing performance, he was named "Man of the Series." He also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2005, becoming the first cricketer to do so since 1981. In 2006, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his role in the Ashes victory. He also received the Freedom of the City of Preston, his hometown.
Leading England and Later Career
England Captaincy and Challenges
In February 2006, Freddie Flintoff became the captain of the England team for a Test series in India. This happened because the regular captain and vice-captain were unavailable. He led the team to a big win in Mumbai, and his strong batting and bowling earned him the "Player of the Series" award. Many people thought he performed even better with the added responsibility.
However, injuries continued to bother him. A recurring ankle problem meant he missed several matches and needed more surgery. Despite this, he played in the ICC Champions Trophy as a specialist batsman.
The 2006–07 Ashes and World Cup
Flintoff captained England again for the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia. Unfortunately, this series was very tough for England, as they lost all five matches. Freddie's own performance was not as strong as in 2005, partly due to his ankle injury.
He also captained England in some One Day International matches during the 2006–07 Commonwealth Bank Series. England managed to win the finals of this series against Australia, which was a good turnaround.
In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Freddie was the vice-captain. He had some good moments with the ball, taking wickets, but his batting form was not at its best.
Injuries, Comeback, and Retirement
Flintoff's ankle injury kept coming back, leading to more operations. This meant he missed many games between 2007 and 2008. However, he always remained positive about his career.
He made a comeback in 2008 for England against South Africa. He bowled well and his batting showed promise. He was named "Man of the Series" in the ODI series against South Africa, where England won 4-0. He was the top scorer and top wicket-taker in that series.
In 2009, he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for a record amount in the Indian Premier League. But another knee injury sent him home early.
On 15 July 2009, Flintoff announced he would retire from Test cricket after the 2009 Ashes Series. He wanted to finish his Test career on a high note by helping England win the Ashes. He was named 'Man of the Match' in England's victory at Lord's, taking five wickets. In his final Test match at The Oval, England won the series 2-1, and Freddie famously ran out the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, ending his Test career with a memorable moment.
On 16 September 2010, after getting advice from doctors, Flintoff retired from all professional cricket. He still played cricket for fun with his brother.
Twenty20 Comeback and Final Retirement
In May 2014, Freddie Flintoff came out of retirement to play Twenty20 cricket for Lancashire. He even played in the final of the competition. After this, he joined the Brisbane Heat in Australia for the 2014–15 Big Bash League season.
During his time in Australia, he often wore a microphone on the field and famously sang "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley during a game. He also started commentating on matches. These experiences made him very popular with Australian fans. After the 2014-15 Big Bash League season, he officially retired from cricket for good. He returned to Australia in 2015-16 as a commentator.
In September 2023, Freddie Flintoff was seen helping the England team with their fielding drills during a One Day International match against New Zealand. This was his first public appearance since his accident while filming Top Gear in late 2022. He was invited to be with the team, but he does not have a formal coaching role.
Records and Achievements
- Freddie Flintoff is one of England's top wicket-takers in both One Day International and Test cricket.
- He holds third place for the most sixes hit for England in Test cricket, with 78.
- He is one of only eleven players to have their names on both the batting and bowling honours boards at Lord's, which is a special achievement for cricketers.
- He was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2005.
- He won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2005.
Media Career and TV Shows
After his cricket career, Freddie Flintoff became a well-known TV personality.
- Since 2010, he has been a team captain on the Sky One sports comedy show A League of Their Own.
- He has also been a guest commentator for darts championships.
- He hosts a radio show on BBC Radio 5 Live.
- Freddie has been a brand ambassador for clothing companies and supermarkets.
- In 2012, he made a documentary called Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side of Sport, where he talked about his own experiences with depression and how it affects sports stars.
- He won the first Australian series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.
- From 2015, he starred in the Sky TV series Flintoff: Lord of the Fries, where he traveled around the UK and Australia exploring food.
- He co-hosts a BBC Radio 5 Live podcast called Flintoff, Savage & The Ping Pong Guy, which won awards in 2017.
- From 2017 to 2020, he was a co-host for Australian Ninja Warrior.
- In 2017, he presented Cannonball on ITV.
- He also appeared in the BBC drama Love, Lies & Records and made his musical theatre debut in Fat Friends The Musical.
- In October 2018, it was announced that Flintoff would be a new host of Top Gear alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. He was involved in a serious accident while filming for the show in December 2022, which led to a financial settlement.
- In 2022, he presented "Freddie's Field of Dreams" on the BBC, where he tried to create a cricket team from disadvantaged boys in Preston. A second series was released in 2024, taking the team to India.
Personal Life
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Freddie Flintoff married Rachael Wools in March 2005. They have four children, and his son Rocky also plays cricket. Freddie has tattoos of his wife and children's names on his left shoulder. He is a supporter of Preston North End football club.
His father, Colin, and brother, Chris, both played cricket. There's a funny story from 2004 when Freddie hit a six in a match, and his father almost caught it in the stands! His dad joked, "If I'd taken it he'd have been the first Test batsman to be caught out by his dad!"
In 2006, Freddie was given the Honorary Freedom of Preston, which is the highest award his hometown can give. He also received an Honorary Fellowship from Myerscough College in 2011.
Documentaries About Freddie
Several TV shows have been made about Freddie's life and career:
- Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side of Sport (2012) on BBC One: In this documentary, Freddie talks openly about depression and how it affects sports stars. He shares his own struggles as England captain and the pressure he faced.
- Flintoff: From Lord's to the Ring (2012) on Sky 1: This series followed Freddie as he trained to become a professional boxer.
- Freddie Flintoff: Living With Bulimia (2020) on BBC One: In this documentary, Freddie discussed his long struggle with bulimia, an eating disorder, and talked with other men who have faced similar challenges. He shared his desire to seek treatment for it.
Awards and Honours
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year): 2005
- Honorary Freedom of Preston: 2006
- Honorary Fellowship of Myerscough College: 2011
- England captain: 2006, 2006–2007
- Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World: 2005
- Wisden Cricketers of the Year: 2004
- PCA Player of the Year: 2004, 2005
- ICC Player of the Year: 2005
- ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2004
- ICC World One-Day XI: 2004, 2005, 2006
- ICC World Test XI: 2005, 2006
- Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year: 1998
- Compton-Miller medal: 2005
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 2005
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Third Place: 2004
- NBC Denis Compton Award: 1997
- Walter Lawrence Trophy: 1999
- MCC Spirit of Cricket Award: 2005
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 1 fight | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
See also
In Spanish: Andrew Flintoff para niños
Images for kids
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Flintoff in 2016
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Flintoff during practice session
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Flintoff bowling against Australia in The Ashes series
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Flintoff batting during the 2009 Ashes series
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The screen display at The Oval as Flintoff comes to the wicket for his penultimate Test innings
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Flintoff with his wife Rachael in 2016.
