Freddie Flintoff displays his healing facial injuries as he films second series of Field Of Dreams in India after horror Top Gear crash

Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff appears to be on the mend as he showed off his healing facial injuries while filming the second series of Field of Dreams in India.

The former cricketer, 46, was involved in a horror car crash that left him seriously injured while filming Top Gear in December 2022.

Freddie looked in good spirits as he posed for a photo with cricketer Subhajit Naskar at the Cricket Association of Bengal on Tuesday.

The Ashes hero was dressed in a black T-shirt, matching shorts and sunglasses.

A source told The Sun: ‘Everyone is happy that Freddie is getting ready to return to work. We know how much this series means to him. It was a passion project that was loved by viewers, so it’s great that it marks its return.”

The former cricketer, 46, was involved in a horror car crash that left him seriously injured while filming Top Gear in December 2022

His facial injuries look substantially better healed than during his last public appearance six months ago, in September 2023.

Freddie was ‘lucky to be alive’ after his three-wheeled, open-top, 130mph Morgan Super 3 car, which had no airbags, overturned in December 2022, leaving him with serious facial injuries and several broken ribs.

Following the near-fatal crash, the BBC announced it would be pausing Top Gear – and in November last year the corporation was given a break for the ‘foreseeable future’.

Freddie, who is still recovering from his ‘life-changing significant’ injuries, is said to have reached a £9 million settlement with the company for two years of lost income as a result of the crash.

A source said The sun on his return to filming: ‘This will be a huge comfort to his fans as it shows that he is healing well and returning to two of his greatest passions: sports and television.

‘Obviously there are some scars, which everyone expected, but Freddie seems to have made huge progress since he last played cricket in public.

‘He clearly feels comfortable enough to be in front of the camera again, which was not the case this time last year.

‘These are nervous first steps because he is recovering both mentally and physically, but the TV program he is making is a real passion project for him.’

The Ashes hero was dressed in a black T-shirt, matching shorts and sunglasses

A source said: ‘Everyone is happy that Freddie is getting ready to return to work. We know how much this series means to him. It was a passion project that was loved by viewers, so it’s great that it marks its return.”

The first Field of Dreams series saw him return to his home town of Preston to recruit young people into the sport.

Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 – a lightweight ‘trackday’ sports car with two wheels at the front and one at the back – at the Dunsfold test circuit near Guildford, Surrey, on December 13, 2022, when it overturned.

The open-top car has no airbags and the cricketer was not wearing a helmet when the car rolled over at around 35km/h – meaning he ‘scraped’ his face on the tarmac in horrific scenes shown on TV production crew witnessed.

Flintoff reportedly required a number of operations after the crash, in which he suffered broken ribs and facial bones after being dragged along the road.

Several staff who witnessed it were reported sick after reportedly being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – a claim the BBC has denied.

He retreated from the spotlight at the insistence of his family to recover and broke cover for the first time last year to coach England cricketers.

Flintoff was photographed in public for the first time since the crash in September and had visible facial injuries as he joined the squad for their one-day international series against New Zealand.

Flintoff joined Top Gear as host alongside Paddy McGuinness in 2019. They joined Chris Harris from the 27th series of the BBC Two show in the main presentation.

In a statement on Top Gear in November, the BBC said: ‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to postpone the UK show for the foreseeable future.

In the next series of Field Of Dreams, Freddie goes to India – where cricket is hugely popular (seen before the crash)

Filming of the latest series of Top Gear was suspended after the crash (Pictured: Flintoff with co-presenters Chris Harris, left, and Paddy McGuinness, right)

Flintoff was driving a Morgan Three-Wheeler open-top sports car (stock) when it overturned during filming in Dunsfold near Guildford in Surrey

Flintoff has fulfilled a mentor role with England since the summer series with New Zealand

The former all-rounder played a crucial role in England’s 2005 Ashes winning series

‘The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy, who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about the new projects being developed with each of them.

‘We will have more to say about this in the near future. We know postponing the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it’s the right thing to do.

‘All other Top Gear activities remain unaffected by this hiatus, including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.’