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Andrew Flintoff’s Test retirement has reopened the door for Queensland to sign the England allrounder as a marquee Twenty20 player.
The Bulls are negotiating with another international star for a guest stint in the domestic Big Bash, after talks with Flintoff broke down almost a year ago.
But with Flintoff now ending his Test career after the Ashes, his availability has changed and he stands as a mouth-watering back-up option for Queensland.
Former Bulls captain Stuart Law, who played alongside Flintoff for several seasons at Lancashire, had sparked Flintoff’s interest in playing for Queensland last season before he was struck down with injury.
Queensland Cricket boss Graham Dixon admitted Flintoff was back on the Bulls’ radar as they seek a marquee talent for the December-January Twenty20 series.
Initially Flintoff was expected to be in South Africa at the time, playing in England’s four-Test series against the Proteas.
“For the last few months we’ve been talking to a well-credentialled international player and we’re down the track with that person but we haven’t finalised things and are not expected to do so soon,” Dixon said.
“He is keen but obviously the challenge we have is the timing of his national commitments and our tournament.
“However we have been down the track with Andrew Flintoff 12 months ago through Stuart Law.
“At that point in time we were reasonably confident of getting him but injury and English commitments made that hard to do.
“He wasn’t on our radar (for 2009-10) but now in the event we don’t acquire our first choice he’s certainly a player we’d follow up with.”
The Bulls are prevented from signing both imports because they have failed to include one on their initial contract list.
Apart from Law, Flintoff has other strong links with Bulls players after playing with Andrew Symonds for Lancashire and Matthew Hayden for Chennai in the IPL.
Like Symonds, who looms as a white-ball option for Queensland in 2009-10, Flintoff is eying several short-term contracts around the world.
Chennai’s Super Kings, who paid $US1.55 million ($A1.93 million) for him this year, hope to have Flintoff available full-time in next year’s IPL.
But he failed to deliver on their huge investment in the 2009 tournament in South Africa, playing just four games to score just 62 runs and take two wickets at 52.50 before succumbing to a knee injury.
Victoria (Dwayne Bravo) and Western Australia (Chris Gayle) have led the way in signing overseas stars, while South Australia and Tasmania have contracted Sri Lankan bowlers Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga respectively.
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