Freddie Flintoff was thrown in the deep end during the most recent episode of his BBC series Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams: On Tour, after being swarmed by locals in Kolkata, India.
Flintoff and his team of wannabe cricketers reached the halfway point on the tour and some of the group started to struggle, with the success of the trip being thrown into question.
Flintoff prepared the boys for their toughest cricket match so far and smartened them up for a prestigious event with members of Kolkata’s high society, however, their day of shopping left Flintoff overwhelmed.
As the lads walked around the markets of Kolkata, Flintoff admitted: “This is bonkers. I’m a bit of a fish out of water here. Too much going on for me here.”
Discussing the last time he was in India, Flintoff added to the camera: “I have not been to India in quite a long time, I think the last time I came, it was 14 or 15 years ago.
“As an England cricketer and you don’t see it, you see the hotel and then you move on to the next place. So I don’t really remember it like this, noises and differences and like sensory stuff. It is so different to anything that I have experienced before.”
Freddie Flintoff was recognised in the streets of Kolkata
BBC
It didn’t take long for the people within the market to spot Flintoff, leaving the 46-year-old to express: “I don’t care what they buy, I just want to get out!”
As they went to leave the shop, one of the lads noticed the crowd starting to form outside and joked: “Jesus. Fred, they know you’re here don’t they!”
Flintoff was adamant about getting out of the shop, but was accosted and forced to sit in the shop and have a crowd gather around him to take pictures, before he finally had enough and exclaimed: “Alright lads, that’s enough, let’s go.”
One of his lads noted: “Stressful that ain’t it! Imagine being you,” before another agreed: “I would hate to get all that, attention around you. I don’t know how you can be Freddie out here, all the attention around you, that looked stressful that.”
The cricketer was accosted by fans across the market
BBC
Flintoff wasn’t the only one who found the market stressful, with Josh finding it hard to cope with the whole trip, noting: “I did a lot of to and froing about coming to India, knew it was different, and different for me, especially someone who has autism is quite, can be quite scary.
“I don’t like loud noises, and smells, and it’s hard essentially to try new foods. Stuff is harder to get over. Obviously, I have had a lot of issues coming out here, I am the one that is not really trying much.
“It is hard for me to get involved with the lads, I am quite distant from them. I don’t show a lot of emotion, the way I think and process things, I am literally a robot which means the team isn’t getting to know me that well.”
Not wanting a member of his team to have a tough time, Flintoff sat down with Josh and asked: “Just wanted a catch-up, see how you are feeling. Your body language and how you are says to me that you are not enjoying it.
Josh was also feeling overwhelmed during their trip to India
BBC
“That is why I am asking. What I don’t want to do is keep someone here who doesn’t want to be here,” leaving Josh to reply: “I don’t like taking risks in things that essentially I am afraid of doing, I don’t want to do. It is self-preservation almost.”
Flintoff added: “I am not saying do all these different things, but if you take one risk here, that is going to stand you in good stead when you get back. Just little things but they make a big difference. Do you want to stay?”
Hopeful, Josh admitted: “Yeah, there is so much I need to learn, so much I need to see and do.”
