Andrew Flintoff 'Not Looking At' Succeeding Brendon McCullum as England Head Coach

Brendon McCullum took over as England's head coach across formats in September last year and will oversee the national side till the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup. But will McCullum be offered an extension or will England look elsewhere?

One of the options England have is their former skipper and star all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff. 

Flintoff, who is currently coaching the England Lions and the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, believes he is not looking at taking over from McCullum once his time is up.

"It's not something I'm looking at. Baz McCullum is incredible - the best England coach," the former all-rounder said on the Stick to Cricket podcast, as reported by Sky Sports.

"He's unbelievable, and the culture he's created is incredible. It's similar to what Gareth Southgate did with the football lads; they are not just good players but great lads as well.

"I'm enjoying working under Keysy [England managing director of men's cricket, Rob Key], it's no secret he's one of my best mates and he's helped me so much in other things. With Baz, we've got a great relationship and the utmost respect."

Flintoff was part of England's backroom staff on a temporary basis under then head coach Matthew Mott in September 2023, but did not travel with the side for the World Cup in India. 

The 47-year-old had a fruitful season with the Superchargers, who he nearly took to the knockout stages after the team finished bottom of the previous season. He was also in charge of the Lions during their Australia tour, and more recently, he was part of the backroom set-up that saw his side draw both the unofficial Tests against India A.

"Honestly, at the moment, I feel as though I'm in the perfect place working with the Lions. I don't see this as a stepping stone to anything else, I'm invested in this and get a chance to work with these lads," Flintoff said.

"I'm not looking at the franchise world or anything else, although I do the Northern Superchargers, which came around last year, and I enjoy working with [Superchargers captain] Harry Brook on that.

"I've been guilty of, in the TV world and in retirement, always looking for the next thing, chasing things. I'm actually really happy, working with great lads and great staff around me. I think I've got a job to do here and it's not like, 'what's next?'"

Flintoff returned to cricket following a horrific crash during the filming of Top Gear, a TV series.