Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff joined Brisbane Heat on a short-term deal in the Big Bash League (BBL) on Thursday, extending his surprise return to Twenty20 cricket.
Forced into retirement by a knee injury in 2009 after 79 Tests and 141 One-dayers, the 36-year-old made a shock return for Lancashire in the Twenty20 Blast earlier this year.
Flintoff, whose 2009 plans to play for Queensland were marred by injury, will arrive in December to reunite with his ex-Lancashire team mate, now Brisbane coach, Stuart Law.
"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, who will play the back half of the BBL session, said in a statement from the BBL side.
"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 (New Zealand spinner) Dan Vettori again," he added.
Flintoff became Brisbane's third international player for the 2014-15 season alongwith Vettori and West Indies spinner Samuel Badree.
"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," Law 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."
Pakistan delay test on Ajmal's remodelled action
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has deferred banned off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's trip to England for an independent test of his remodelled bowling action.
Ajmal, Pakistan's frontline spinner, has been banned from bowling for his illegal action and PCB is keen to get him back before next year's 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The PCB cricket committee, in a meeting on Wednesday, decided the 37-year-old spinner will continue to mend his action under former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq's observation before he is sent for a test.
"After further remedial work in the next fortnight, Ajmal shall be sent over to an ICC approved high quality lab in England for testing to ascertain the exact degree of improvement in his bowling action," the PCB said in a statement.
