Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was forced into premature retirement from cricket in 2010 by a succession of crippling injuries, but not before he had established himself as one of the great heroes of the modern game. An all-rounder in the Ian Boitham mould, he scored 3845 runs in 79 Tests and took 218 wickets. Freddie is the second highest taker of wickets for England in one-day internationals, with a total haul of 159 wickets in 141 matches.

He will always be warmly remembered for his performances that helped England regain the Ashes in 2005 and his well-oiled celebrations after the Urn had been captured. Born in Preston, Freddie – nicknamed after the cartoon character Fred Flintstone – remains a huge favourite at Lancashire, where he laid the foundation to his headline-hitting career.

An MBE, he is now concentrating on a new direction in his life as a television personality and a charismatic, motivational after-dinner speaker. You can book him through A1 Sporting Speakers.