Former England star Andrew Flintoff will continue his professional cricket comeback with the Brisbane Heat in this summer’s Big Bash League.
The Heat officially announced Flintoff on Thursday after the 36-year-old made a return in the English T20 Blast earlier this year, however the all-rounder will appear in just half of Brisbane’s BBL fixture.
Flintoff has signed for the second half of the season and it is uncertain how many of the Heat’s matches he will feature in, meaning me may miss a would-be blockbuster against former international teammate Kevin Pietersen and the Melbourne Stars on December 28.
“I’m excited to be coming back to Australia and especially to Brisbane which has always been a favourite spot of mine to play,” Flintoff said.
“[The coach] Stuart Law 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 (new teammate and New Zealander) Dan Vettori again.”
Flintoff attempted to join Queensland back in 2009, but saw an injury dash his Australian T20 career before playing a game.
The recent emergence of the sport and its high-profile stars has attracted Flintoff’s attention from the other side of the world.
“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 (Lancashire) 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.”
Flintoff is the latest star acquisition for the Heat, which announced the signing of prolific T20 wicket-taker Samuel Badree last week.
The BBL season kicks off December 18 when the Adelaide Strikers face the Melbourne Stars at Adelaide Oval. Brisbane will begin its 2014-15 campaign on Sunday, December 21 against the Sydney Thunder at ANZ Stadium.
Photo: Gareth Copely/Getty Images
