How Freddie Flintoff is helping England ODI squad in return to public eye after crash

Freddie Flintoff has reportedly been handed a mentoring role with the England team nine months after suffering serious injuries in an accident while filming BBC show Top Gear . The 45-year-old was pictured for the first time since the crash on Friday as he worked with the England squad during their one-day international defeat to New Zealand at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens. According to the Daily Mail, Flintoff almost died after his three-wheeled open-top car, which didn’t have airbags, flipped over at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, Surrey, in December at 130mph. But an EBC source told the publication that the former all-rounder is back in cricket for good but will be taking things slowly mentoring players. And England star Liam Livingstone paid tribute to the ‘national hero’ as he explained: ‘It’s incredible to have someone of his experience with us. He was obviously one of my heroes growing up. Thankfully I’ve been around Fred a little bit at Lancashire and he’s back at Old Trafford a bit more again now with his boys coming through at the club. ‘It’s been great for the lads to have him here now. We’ve all been talking to him, especially when we were batting. You’ve got three and a half hours to pick the brains of someone who’s been there and done it. He’s a national hero so everybody loves that Fred’s going to be with us for the whole of this series and I’m sure he will enjoy himself as well.’