Michael Vaughan and Andrew [Freddie] Flintoff, now elderly, 85 and 82 years old, are sitting on a park bench outside Lord’s cricket ground feeding pigeons and talking about cricket, past Ashes series, and tours like they do every day.
Michael turns to Freddie and asks, “Do you think there’s cricket in heaven?”
Flintoff thinks about it for a minute and replies, “I dunno. But let’s make an agreement: if I die first, I’ll come back and tell you if there’s cricket in heaven, and if you die first, you do the same.”They shake hands on it. Sadly, a few months later, poor Freddie passes on.
One day soon afterward, Vaughany is sitting there feeding the pigeons by himself when he hears a voice whisper, “Michael…………….Michael”
Vaughan responds, “Freddie, is that you?”
“Yes it is, Michael,” whispers Freddie’s ghost.
Vaughany, still amazed, enquires, “So, is there cricket in heaven?”
“Well,” says Freddie, “I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“Gimme the good news first,” says Vaughany.
Freddie opines, “Well… there is cricket in heaven.”
Vaughan says, “That’s great! What news could be bad enough to ruin that?”
Freddie sighs and whispers, “You are going to open the innings this Friday.”