Lalit Modi might have been sacked as the Chief Commissioner of the highly successful and popular Indian Premier League or the IPL, the first ever franchise based Twenty 20 Cricket league in the world almost 2 seasons back now for financial misdealing, but he has stirred up fresh controversy and has dragged legendary England cricketer Andrew Flintoff into it.

Andrew Flintoff is, without doubt, England’s most iconic player since the days of Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham.

Not only was he an incredibly skilled player, capable of world class performances with both bat and ball, he was someone with whom the whole country could relate to.

Andrew Flintoff, or Freddie, as he is lovingly known to his fans and colleagues, has always been controversy’s child.

He was also the happy face of English cricket and his swashbuckling ways, on and off the field, were loved by most. He was England’s captain when the team brought home the Ashes trophy in 2005. He was also the captain the following year when the Aussies whitewashed their side 5-0.

Following that, he went into clinical depression and hasn’t faced the media or answered any questions about what happened during that period.

Former England all round cricketer Andy Flintoff has admitted that the 5-0 loss to arch rivals Australia in the Ashes series of 2007 left the morale of the team at an all time low and that period for him personally was one of despair, having suffered from depression for days on end.

Flintoff added that at the time they could not believe what had happened and how they managed to go from winning the series 2-1 at home to being completely decimated in a matter of months.

Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has returned to live in the UK, after two years living the dream in Dubai. Whilst he enjoyed the sunshine and swimming pool, Dubai just wasn't what he called home, and he has now returned to live in Surrey.

Flintoff headed out to Dubai just over two years ago, as a chance to enjoy himself having retired fully from all forms of cricket. But it's not taken too long for him to start pining for the mud, rain and cold of England.

Andrew flintoff will be the guest of honour for the Lancashire County Cricket Club for its first birthday. The multi-million pound conference and events venue has enjoyed growing success since it was opened in 2010 and has played host to 91 conventions, events, and formal dinners, welcomed 60,000 visitors, and achieved a turnover of nearly £2.5m.

Flintoff has been accused of his recent comments against people in Burnley. He was praising the recent tour of Preston, his home town, by Prince William and Kate Middleton and used the opportunity for a little oneupmanship on the rival Lancashire town of Burnley, which the Royal couple did not visit but whose famous sons include the actor Sir Ian McKellen.

He then compared its residents to the Dingles, the troubled family from the television soap Emmerdale, which includes murderers, arsonists and kidnappers, but this was not judged too harshly.

Andrew Flintoff does not seem to be too bothered of retirement as he was recently spotted at Lords.

His most recent visits to the Home of Cricket have been as a player - most memorably in 2009 when his spell of 5-92 inspired England to their first Ashes victory at Lord’s in over 70 years.

This visit to Lord’s is, sadly for England fans, slightly more low-key - but one Flintoff is grateful of nonetheless. Flintoff is accepting his iconic MCC Members’ tie after an offer from the Club of Honorary Honorary Life Membership earlier this year.

The MCC have awarded Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff with honorary life membership.

Widely known as a cricket enthusiast, Dr Tutu was the first speaker to be drawn from outside the circle of international cricket to deliver the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2008.

Flintoff joins a select group of former players, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Ian Botham, who are already life members of the club.

Andrew Flintoff has said that he wants Paul Collingwood to return home. Collingwood managed just 83 runs during a Test series England's batsman otherwise dominated, before scores of 16, six and one in the limited overs series so far.

Flintoff believes the all-rounder would be better served by getting away from cricket and return to his family, with his wife expecting a child next month.

"I'd be tempted for him to come home, because in the World Cup we're going to be need him playing well," Flintoff said.

"Sometimes you can try too hard."