Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff (born 6 December 1977) is an English television and radio presenter and former international cricketer. Regarded as one of the leading all-rounders of his era, Flintoff played all formats of the game for England as a fast bowler, middle-order batsman and slip fielder. He was consistently ranked by the International Cricket Council (ICC) among the top all-rounders in both One Day International (ODI) and Test cricket.
| Full name | Andrew Flintoff |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Freddie |
| Date of birth | 6 December 1977 |
| Nationality | English |
| Role | All-rounder (fast bowler, middle-order batsman, slip fielder) |
| International debut | 1998 |
| Test retirement | End of the 2009 Ashes series |
| Retirement from other formats | 2010 |
| Notable honour | Man of the Series, 2005 Ashes |
| Other careers | Television presenter, radio presenter, professional boxer (briefly) |
Flintoff made his international debut for England in 1998 and developed into an integral member of the side across all three formats. He served as both captain and vice-captain of England during his career.
His most celebrated performances came during the 2005 Ashes series against Australia, in which he was named England's Man of the Series. He retired from Test cricket at the conclusion of the 2009 Ashes series and from the remaining formats of the game in 2010.
In 2014, Flintoff came out of retirement to play Twenty20 cricket for Lancashire. He was subsequently signed by the Brisbane Heat for the 2014–15 season of the Australian Big Bash League.
Flintoff fought one professional boxing bout on 30 November 2012 in Manchester, defeating the American boxer Richard Dawson by a points decision.
Since retiring from cricket, Flintoff has pursued a varied career in entertainment and business. He designed his own fashion range and became the face of the clothing brand Jacamo. He won the first series of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and has been a long-standing member of the panel on Sky One's sports-based comedy show A League of Their Own.
In 2019, Flintoff became a presenter of the BBC One motoring programme Top Gear. He remained with the programme until he sustained injuries arising from an accident during filming in late 2022.
Flintoff is remembered as one of England's most influential cricketers of the 2000s, particularly for his contribution to the 2005 Ashes triumph. His subsequent transition into broadcasting, along with ventures in boxing, fashion and television entertainment, has made him one of the more publicly recognisable figures associated with English cricket beyond the playing field.