Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, who is on the comeback trail from serious injuries, has been earmarked for a top coaching role with the England national team.
Flintoff, 46, is one of the most revered cricketers in England’s modern history and was awarded an MBE for his starring role in the nation’s stirring 2005 Ashes triumph.
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The all-rounder moved into television following his international retirement in 2009 before suffering extensive injuries in a horror crash filming a segment for the now-scrapped Top Gear series in late 2022.
He kept a low profile as he recovered but has been seen around the England set up over the past six months.
Meanwhile the current England team, led by coach Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum, is languishing in eighth place in the nine-team World Test Championship.
The architect of the infamous Bazball along with skipper Ben Stokes, McCullum is contracted through the 2025-26 Ashes series.
And Flintoff is considered a likely senior coach in the future, according to England managing director Rob Key.
“Without question, I think he would be an excellent head coach,” Key told the UK Telegraph. “Who knows where he ends up in the future? He will be a worthy candidate going forward. “When that time comes and whoever is in this job, and it might be outside of my time, they would be stupid not to look at him.”
Flintoff is cranking up his involvement in cricket, taking on the head coaching role with Northern Superchargers in this year’s Hundred, working with England’s limited-overs team on a tour to the Caribbean and with the under-19s and Lions teams.
He will also help England in a home one-day series against Pakistan.
Key compared Flintoff to Stokes and said the former England skipper’s experiences have been invaluable to current players.
“He has helped us immensely,” Key said. “Just having someone who knows what it is like to struggle and come out the other end is so relatable to those players.
“When they have had a bad day he can explain it. He is one of those people when he talks to you he is working you out.
“He has high emotional intelligence so he understands when you need a bit of an arm around your shoulder or blunt honesty.
“Those are the skills that make a great leader. He has a lot to offer.”