FREDDIE FLINTOFF’S famous photo of him bending down alongside Brett Lee has become synonymous with good sportsmanship.

The photo was taken during the second test of the 2005 Ashes Series, with England hero Flintoff bending down and touching the shoulder of the Aussie following his side’s crushing last-over defeat.

The match is remembered as one of cricket‘s greatest Tests as it marked the start of a real England push to reclaim the Ashes after 16 years.

But the real truth behind that image – plastered across newspapers the world over and one of the most recognisable photos in modern cricket – has now come to light.

Indeed, Flintoff’s gesture was certainly not as kind as it might have seemed to those watching from afar.

Instead, according to Lee and former England captain Michael Atherton, he was delivering a brutal private sledge.

Flintoff, now 47, crouched down and said: “That’s one-all, you Aussie b******.”

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lee recalls: “That might have been thrown in there.

“He’s just a guy that has just given his all, who’s been great for world cricket, and his sportsmanship is just second to none.

“He’s an absolute beauty.”

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England would go on to win the Ashes for the first time in 16 years following the Edgbaston triumph – with the two-run victory that day still the tightest finish in Ashes history.

And despite the defeat on the day, Lee, 48, rates it as the best match he played in his career.

He added: “He’s that lovable character.

“Not real lovable though when he’s bowling 95 miles an hour at your ribs, I can testify to that.

“Probably one of the most special moments in my career was that 2005 Ashes series and certainly that epic battle that we had at Edgbaston.

“Even though we lost, I’d still put that down as one of my favourite games, purely the way it was played and the sportsmanship that was on show.”

The next Ashes series takes place Down Under, with England eyeing a first victory in 10 years and first in Australia since 2010.