Andrew Flintoff has admitted that he has found it difficult to prepare for his forthcoming boxing bout.

The former England cricket captain, who will face an opponent yet to be named on November 30, has revealed some of the problems he had with switching professions.

Flintoff told Sky Sports News: "All the stuff you do in the gym, all the stuff you do with the pads, it doesn't really get you ready for trying to get out of the way, for trying to punch somebody, for trying to take a punch."

"It is tough, and a far cry from anything I've done before. We went to Essex and I faced this guy in sparring, he was 19 stone, 19-and-a-half stone.

"He was good. I went in there and I was just waiting for that first punch. You put your hands up and you think, 'Right, when's it coming, when's it coming' and then I got punched and I was like, 'I'm still here'. And then you soak up more and more."

Flintoff's bid to become a heavyweight boxer has recently been criticised by promoter Frank Maloney.