Flintoff to part ways with England after 1-year stint as consultant: Report

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff, who has been involved with the England coaching setup since September 2023, is reportedly set to part ways with the Three Lions and will not be a part of the backroom staff for England’s white-ball series against Australia in September.

Telegraph Cricket have reported that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has given the green light to interim head coach Marcus Trescothick to build his own team. Flintoff is expected to not be a part of Trescothick’s team, with the 46-year-old set to carve his own path.

Flintoff, who was England’s assistant coach in the T20 World Cup 2024, recently coached the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. It was his first-ever job as a full-time coach, and Flintoff’s side enjoyed a pretty successful campaign, winning five of the eight matches they played, losing just two, narrowly missing out on playoff qualification.

According to The Telegraph, it is being speculated that Flintoff did not enjoy the greatest of relationships with white-ball skipper Jos Buttler, who, in contrast, is pretty close with Trescothick due to the pair’s Somerset connection.

“Jos Buttler, who is continuing as England white-ball captain after the sacking of Matthew Mott, is not believed to have gelled particularly with Flintoff during the T20 World Cup in June,” the report claimed. 

“Buttler has a strong rapport with Trescothick, with the two playing together at Somerset when he was breaking into the professional game. Buttler has often worked on his batting with Trescothick.”

It’s been a couple of years of rebuilding for Flintoff, who in December 2022 suffered a horror car crash during the filming of an episode of the BBC show Top Gear.

“I don’t want to sit and feel sorry for myself. I don’t want sympathy. I’m struggling with my anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks – it’s been so hard to cope,” he recently said on BBC, recalling the accident.

“I’ve got to look at the positives, I’ve got another chance, and I’m going to go at it. I’m seeing that as how it is – a second go.”

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