Rob Key: ‘Andrew Flintoff would make an excellent England head coach’،
England chief executive Rob Key believes Andrew Flintoff has a “gift” in man management similar to that of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, and would make an “excellent” candidate to one day take over as England head coach.
Key, one of Flintoff's closest friends in the game, was instrumental in his return to the public eye after suffering horrific facial injuries while filming an episode of Higher speed in December 2022.
Flintoff was offered an unpaid role in England's white-ball set-up during last year's series against New Zealand, during which time the extent of his injuries became apparent, and he became a mentor for the England Lions squad ahead of his unveiling as the Northern Superchargers' new head coach for this year's Hundred.
Talk to The telegraphKey confirmed that Flintoff had also been added to England's backroom squad for their T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean in June – his most significant involvement with the team to date – so as Jos Buttler's men look to defend the title they won in Australia. two years ago.
“Without a doubt, I think he would be a great head coach,” Key told the newspaper. “Who knows where he will end up in the future. He will be a worthy candidate. When that time comes and whoever is in that position, and it might be outside of my time, it would be stupid not to look at it.”
He said Flintoff's struggles – both since his accident and following his own playing career, cut short by a knee injury – have endowed him with an “emotional intelligence” that players appreciate when they face pressure from top players. level sport.
“Flintoff is a leader like [Ben] Stokes,” Key said. “Just having someone who knows what it's like to struggle and come out on the other end is so relatable to these players. When they had a bad day, he can explain it. He's one of those people when he talks to you, he makes you work.
“He has great emotional intelligence, so he understands when you need a little arm around your shoulder or direct honesty. These are the skills that make a great leader. Leadership is about making sure people people around you feel better and he is someone who is like that. He has a lot to offer.
Flintoff's role in England will extend to the four-match T20I series against Pakistan which precedes the T20 World Cup – after which the team's return to St Lucia will revive memories of the infamous Pedalo incident which characterized England's ill-fated 50-2007 campaign. on the World Cup.
But even that episode, in Key's view, counts as valuable experience as Flintoff advances in his coaching career, and he hopes other recent high-profile players, such as Moeen Ali and Eoin Morgan, can be brought back quickly into the professional world in the same way. -after their playing days.
“If you could design the perfect head coach development program, Flintoff would be on a brilliant journey,” he said. “He started as a mentor, then a bit of Lions cricket, under-19s and he's going to be head coach of a team with a draft, working on how to put a team together and get them all playing together . quickly.
“It's a much more relevant experience than sitting on a Zoom call and listening to someone tell you what to do. Moeen Ali, I think, will be a great coach, there are so many people. They have these skills and we want to try to create experiences where they can really learn.
