Former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff  is all  set to make his professional boxing debut today against American Richard Dawson at Manchester Arena. The former all rounder, known for his sharp incoming deliveries and hard hitting batting capabilities, almost shocked everyone when he announced that he is going to enter professional boxing.  The 34-year-old has been training for the past four months for this grand moment.

After a series of injuries that troubled him for the last five years of his cricket career also forced him to retire from professional cricket in 2010. Post retirement he embarked on a successful television career, appearing as a team captain on the James Corden-hosted sports quiz 'A League of Their Own' and travelling to the remotest regions on Earth for the Discovery Channel. He's also raised millions of pounds for charity. Instead of settling into a comfortable lifestyle of golf, time with his young family and the occasional televised adventure abroad, he decided to take up a sport that those in the business describe starkly as a 'hurting game'. "I wanted to get back into professional sport at a time when I needed something. I was drifting," Flintoff was quoted as saying by BBC.

"I played my last game of cricket at the age of 31 and I'm only 34 now. I've always loved boxing and I'm going to have a go at it and see where it takes us," he said in an interview. 'The last four-and-a-half-months have been the hard work and I want to go out and enjoy it," he added.

(With inputs)

(AW-Jyotishman)