Freddie Flintoff opens up on Top Gear crash aftermath in new show: "It's been hard to cope"

The cricketer was airlifted to hospital and his injuries were described at the time as being non-life-threatening.

"It was a pretty nasty crash," his son Corey told the Mail Online. "It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he’s going to be OK."

The BBC did not resume filming season 34 following an internal investigation into the incident, and it has since been announced that it would be resting the Top Gear format "for the foreseeable future".

In the first episode of new series Field of Dreams on Tour, which begins on Tuesday 13th August, viewers see Flintoff speak candidly about how he is coping after the crash, admitting that he thought he'd be able to "shake it off".

Speaking to the camera, Flintoff says: "I thought I could shake it off, I wanted to shake it off and say, 'Here I am, I'm alright,' but it's not been the case of that, it's a lot harder than I thought.

"As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I've just not been able to."

In later scenes, Kyle Hogg - who has been coaching the cricket team - asks for Flintoff's thoughts on taking the lads to India, something Freddie is still desperate to do.

"It's one of the things which all the way through this when I was in hospital, I was thinking like it's March, I was aiming towards March and September and aiming towards that," he tells Hogg.

"It's always been a little bit unachievable. I think about it all the time. And I think about going and how good it'll be. And in my mind I'm thinking, well I don't leave the house either. [I've] gotta get on a plane and gotta be there for two and a half weeks or so.

"But some of the lads have had a tough life, you've got to try and put it into perspective, and I feel guilty I can't do that."

Flintoff further explains that he doesn't want to feel sorry for himself or receive sympathy, but admits that it'll be a struggle to go from wearing "a face mask and glasses" each time he leaves the house to travelling to India for two and a half weeks.

Speaking about the crash, Flintoff says: "I struggle with anxiety, you know, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks, it's been so hard to cope. But I'm thinking if I don't do something then I'm never gonna go. I've gotta get on with it."

As Kyle gives him food for thought that the lads may be able to help him out, Flintoff decides it's time to see them.

Over the course of the episodes, viewers will see Flintoff and the cricket team in India as they juggle learning a new culture and competing in games of cricket with locals who may be just that bit better than them.

Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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