Brisbane Heat have confirmed the signing of Andrew Flintoff for the forthcoming Big Bash League in Australia as the 36-year-old continues his playing return from retirement.
Flintoff, who agreed to join Queensland in 2010 only for injury to prevent him from doing so, came out of retirement in the summer to play for Lancashire, turning in an eye-catching performance in the T20 Blast final where he took the wicket of Ian Bell with his first ball and struck two bludgeoning sixes.
Brisbane, coached by Flintoff’s former Lancashire team-mate Stuart Law, have confirmed that the former England all-rounder will arrive in December and be available for the latter half of the tournament, which begins on 18 December.
“I’m excited to be coming back to Australia and especially to Brisbane which has always been a favourite spot of mine to play,” said Flintoff, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2010. “Stuart and I have had a few conversations and I’m clear on what we’re looking to achieve in the competition. The Heat squad has some exciting talent and I’m looking forward to catching up with Dan Vettori again.
“I’ve seen from afar how the BBL has evolved so quickly to become a world class competition and it’s a challenge that I am certainly up for. I really enjoyed my T20 season with Lancs and having the opportunity to keep playing is something I am very pleased about. It’s going to be great heading out to Brisbane and getting into the swing of things for the BBL in December.”
Law has previously stated his belief that Flintoff still has plenty to offer on the field, warning his former team-mate that “this is not a holiday and it is not about collecting cash”. And he reiterated that stance with the confirmation of the signing.
“I’ve told Fred we signed him to win games of cricket, so that means we want him bowling 140km/hr, hitting sixes and using his experience around the group to get the job done,’’ he said. “He’s an enormous competitor and so I know he is coming out for the right reasons. The Brisbane fans will quickly discover he’s a champion fella and I’m sure they will love having him with the team. He’s a wonderful person and we’re looking forward to having Fred and his family with us at the Heat over the summer.”
