Andrew Flintoff has had an operation to repair a torn shoulder ligament which is likely to end his boxing career after one bout, but the possibility of a return to cricket remains.
Andrew Flintoff has had an operation to repair a torn shoulder ligament which is likely to end his boxing career after one bout, but the possibility of a return to cricket remains.
It is unclear whether Flintoff -sustained the injury during his fight with American Richard Dawson last month or his many months of sparring while training for the bout, but it is serious enough for him to require surgery, which would leave him facing a long period of rehabilitation and physiotherapy if he decided to return to the ring.
His strict training regimen has left Flintoff leaner and fitter than at any stage of his sporting life and a return to professional sport reignited his competitive instincts, leading to thoughts of a return to cricket.
The shoulder injury is serious enough for him to realise his boxing career is over despite offers to box in America. A return to play Twenty20 is one of many options on the table and he will make a final decision on his future in the new year.
"The injury to his shoulder will be taken into account but at this stage we are ruling nothing in and nothing out," said a spokesman for Flintoff. "It is a nasty one but he has had a lot nastier during his life.
"We will just wait and see and report back in the new year and see where we go. There are certainly leads to chase."
Newspapers in New Zealand reported yesterday (Wednesday) that cricketer Jesse Ryder is interested in a bout with Flintoff after he won a charity fight earlier this year.
Flintoff retired from international cricket at the end of the 2009 Ashes series to have a major operation on his knee. It is an injury that prevents him from bowling and he would only be able to return to Twenty20 cricket as a batsman. At 35, and after a three-year absence from the game, it is questionable whether he would be able to reach his old standards but with Twenty20 leagues springing up all over the world, and the Flintoff name still a potential box office hit, he is unlikely to be short of offers.
Meanwhile, former England -captain Andrew Strauss is being lined up for a consultancy role with the England and Wales Cricket Board. Strauss stepped down as England captain after last summer's series defeat by South Africa and announced his retirement from all cricket in August.
"We are in discussion with Andrew about a possible consultancy role," said an ECB spokesman.
"Andrew would be a loss to the game if we didn't keep him involved in some way," added Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association.
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