Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff has publicly shared his battle with anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks after surviving a horrific accident that left him with life-altering injuries.

Flintoff described the crash as a crucial moment that "changed his life forever." It happened in December 2022 when he was driving an open-topped three-wheeler at Surrey’s Dunsfold Aerodrome.

The vehicle overturned and skidded along the track, which resulted in multiple facial injuries and broken ribs. The accident was so severe that he was airlifted to the hospital.

In his new BBC One show, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, the Lancashire all-rounder opened up about his struggles for the first time.

"I genuinely should not be here, with what happened. It's going to be a long road back and I'm only just starting. I've got to look at the positives, don't I? I'm still here. I've got another chance, I've got to go at it. I'm seeing that as how it is: a second go," Flintoff said.

The 46-year-old revealed that he was often "crying every two minutes" following the crash and went away from home only for medical appointments.

"I thought I could just shake it off. I wanted to shake it off and say 'here am I, I'm alright' but it's not been the case, it's been a lot harder than I thought," Flintoff stated.

"As much as I've wanted to go out and do things I've just not been able to… Everywhere I go at the moment, I've got a full face mask and glasses on. I struggle with anxiety: I have nightmares, I have flashbacks. It's been so hard to cope with. But I'm thinking if I don't do something, I'm never going to go. I've got to get on with it."

After recovering from injuries, Andrew Flintoff has gradually returned to cricket in coaching roles. He has worked with England's white-ball teams as an assistant coach and is currently associated with Northern Superchargers as head coach in the men's Hundred.

However, Flintoff is not sure if he will ever feel normal again. "I don't know if I will again, to be honest… I don't know what 'completely better' is. I am what I am now. I'm different to what I was. It's something that I'll probably have to deal with for the rest of my life," he said.

Andrew Flintoff represented England in 79 Tests, 141 ODI and 7 T20Is, scoring over 7000 runs and claiming a total of 400 wickets. He retired from international cricket in 2009.