Flintoff named England Lions head coach

Andrew Flintoff’s move into coaching has grown further pinch his assignment arsenic leader of England Lions for nan adjacent year.

The 46-year-old erstwhile England all-rounder returned to cricket past twelvemonth pursuing a clang connected nan group of Top Gear that near him pinch terrible facial injuries.

He has since worked pinch nan England white-ball team, been caput coach of Northern Superchargers successful The Hundred and this week is pinch nan England Test broadside for nan last lucifer of nan bid against Sri Lanka.

Flintoff will return up his caller domiciled adjacent month. The Lions are scheduled for wintertime tours of South Africa and Australia, past are owed to play India A and Zimbabwe astatine location adjacent summer.

“I’m incredibly excited to return connected this domiciled pinch nan England Lions,” said Flintoff. “It’s a awesome opportunity to activity pinch immoderate of nan champion up-and-coming talent successful nan state and to thief style nan early of nan men’s game.

“It’s an breathtaking clip for English cricket, and I’m passionate astir inspiring nan adjacent procreation to return nan athletics forward. We’ve sewage a beardown foundation, and I judge we tin create thing genuinely special.”

Flintoff played 79 Tests for England betwixt 1998 and 2009, including a starring domiciled successful nan epic Ashes triumph of 2005, for which he was named BBC Sports Personality of nan Year.

After ending his playing career, Flintoff moved into tv presenting and fronted Top Gear from 2019 until his life-changing mishap successful 2022.

In nan 2nd bid of his documentary Field Of Dreams, which concluded connected BBC One past week, Flintoff revealed nan mishap near him struggling pinch anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks.

"I don't cognize what wholly amended is," he said successful scenes filmed astatine nan opening of this year.

"I americium what I americium now. I'm different to what I was. It's thing I will person to woody pinch for nan remainder of my life. Better? No, different."

Flintoff, who is adjacent friends pinch England managing head Rob Key, returned to nationalist life by moving pinch nan white-ball squad astatine nan extremity of past summer.

He remained a regular characteristic successful nan limited-overs set-up, including astatine nan T20 World Cup successful nan Caribbean and USA successful June. Flintoff joined nan Test group astatine The Oval this week and conducted an affectional headdress position for debutant Josh Hull connected Friday.

On nan aforesaid day, Key told Test Match Special: "Freddie is loving coaching. Sometimes it is simply a trait that is not spoken astir capable - he is kind. All of nan things Fred tin be: funny, extrovert. He is kind. It is an underrated quality."

Flintoff’s return to nan crippled has coincided pinch boy Rocky’s accelerated ascent done nan ranks astatine Lancashire.

The 16-year-old only made his 2nd XI debut successful April and has since signed master position pinch nan club, made debuts successful first-class and List A cricket and besides played for England Under-19s.

Corey Flintoff, aged 18, has besides played for Lancashire 2nd XI.