ID :
169007
Thu, 03/17/2011 - 14:08
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/169007
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Sport: Former England star completes 3 years on crutches
LAHORE, March 16, 2011 (PPI): Former all-rounder of England Andrew Flintoff has undergone a major surgery to straighten his left leg. Flintoff had earlier underdone surgery on his left knee soon after the Ashes of 2009 and was getting on with rehabilitation process.
Talking to The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Flintoff said he thought that he was ok but soon he felt that he was kidding himself that he was getting better. My whole left leg had started to bow and I needed this latest operation to try and make sure I can lead some kind of normal life. To straighten the leg the doctors had to break my tibia, take a piece of bone out of my hip and put that in the knee and then screw a titanium pin through from the knee into the top of my shin, Flintoff informed the magazine. The all-rounder wished to lead a pain-free life after 13 operations during an injury ravaged career. I want to be able to play football with my kids or, if I wanted to play a game of club cricket with my brother, I could do it. More than that I just don’t want to walk in pain. Before the operation every time I put my foot down it was just bone on bone and it was getting seriously painful. I had the operation done for my quality of life, he added.
Flintoff, arguably the most notable England all-rounder after Ian Botham, has spent a total of three years on crutches during recovery from a succession of serious knee and foot injuries. Despite the pain and the physical damage, Flintoff had no regrets about pushing his battered knee to play through the 2009 Ashes. I would never swap winning the Ashes but that 2009 series finished my career. I played through four Tests and the damage I did then has resulted in how I am now. I certainly never thought I would play my last game of cricket aged 31. I had so many injections and pain killers in my knee just to get through that series. I’m glad I did but obviously it has cost me, he tells the magazine.
Andrew also admitted it had been difficult to find motivation without the prospect of ever playing cricket again. I am not going to lie. I have found it incredibly tough. It’s really hard to motivate yourself knowing that at the end of it you’re still not going to get a chance to play for England again; he said. Flintoff has gone quite down a couple of times in recent weeks, which is not like him at all. I am just looking forward to getting off my crutches, being able to drive again and hopefully cranking up the rehab. It’s not been an easy time, though, he remarked.
Talking to The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Flintoff said he thought that he was ok but soon he felt that he was kidding himself that he was getting better. My whole left leg had started to bow and I needed this latest operation to try and make sure I can lead some kind of normal life. To straighten the leg the doctors had to break my tibia, take a piece of bone out of my hip and put that in the knee and then screw a titanium pin through from the knee into the top of my shin, Flintoff informed the magazine. The all-rounder wished to lead a pain-free life after 13 operations during an injury ravaged career. I want to be able to play football with my kids or, if I wanted to play a game of club cricket with my brother, I could do it. More than that I just don’t want to walk in pain. Before the operation every time I put my foot down it was just bone on bone and it was getting seriously painful. I had the operation done for my quality of life, he added.
Flintoff, arguably the most notable England all-rounder after Ian Botham, has spent a total of three years on crutches during recovery from a succession of serious knee and foot injuries. Despite the pain and the physical damage, Flintoff had no regrets about pushing his battered knee to play through the 2009 Ashes. I would never swap winning the Ashes but that 2009 series finished my career. I played through four Tests and the damage I did then has resulted in how I am now. I certainly never thought I would play my last game of cricket aged 31. I had so many injections and pain killers in my knee just to get through that series. I’m glad I did but obviously it has cost me, he tells the magazine.
Andrew also admitted it had been difficult to find motivation without the prospect of ever playing cricket again. I am not going to lie. I have found it incredibly tough. It’s really hard to motivate yourself knowing that at the end of it you’re still not going to get a chance to play for England again; he said. Flintoff has gone quite down a couple of times in recent weeks, which is not like him at all. I am just looking forward to getting off my crutches, being able to drive again and hopefully cranking up the rehab. It’s not been an easy time, though, he remarked.
