Flintoff to coach Northern Superchargers in Men’s Hundred،
Andrew Flintoff has been appointed head coach of the Northern Superchargers in the Men’s Hundred, marking a huge step forward for the former England all-rounder.
The 2005 Ashes hero, who has played more than 200 times for his country across all formats, will replace James Foster, who was dismissed by the Superchargers on Friday. Although Flintoff has no head coaching experience, the move is an important step in his return to cricket.
Flintoff, 45, is gradually returning to public life through cricket after an accident last December while filming an episode of Top Gear, assisted by his good friend Rob Key, managing director of England Men’s. Flintoff spent the summer working behind closed doors with the England U19s and recently completed an unpaid stint with the ODI team during their series against Ireland. This week he will travel to the United Arab Emirates as part of the coaching staff for an England Lions training camp and is expected to tour the Caribbean for England’s white-ball matches against the West Indies in December.
Since retiring in 2010, Flintoff has moved away from gaming to focus on entertainment, becoming a presenter on the BBC’s Top Gear in 2018. He has dabbled in commentary, most notably in 2021 when he was part of the team broadcast the inaugural season of The Hundred, and has also maintained a connection to the game through his sons Corey and Rocky, who are en route to Flintoff County, Lancashire.
Despite never serving as head coach, Flintoff applied for the England job in 2014 when Trevor Bayliss announced he would be leaving the following year. After sending an email to express his interest, he did not receive a response until a month later, after reviewing his application, before receiving a phone call from someone at the ECB who did not know that she was authentic.
As Hundred coach, Flintoff’s duties will be limited beyond the competition itself and he will be involved in enforcing rules relating to player retention and negotiating next year’s draft ahead of the 2024 season. Former Lancashire bowler Kyle Hogg, now a county coach and close to Flintoff, is set to take up the role of assistant coach at Superchargers.
“I am delighted to have been named head coach of the Northern Superchargers men’s team,” Flintoff said. “My time with the England men’s team has reminded me how special cricket is to me, and I am relishing the opportunity to be back among them, helping to guide the Superchargers team to success on the field while creating memories and helping to bring cricket to more people.
“The Superchargers have a great fan base that I can’t wait to meet and bring with us this season. I can’t wait to make Headingley my new home.”
Northern Superchargers Chair Kirsty Bashforth said: “We are delighted to welcome Andrew to the Northern Superchargers family. He is an inspirational figure who has immense respect in the game of cricket and we know he is someone who will excite our players, coaches and fans. “Andrew will help us create a unique culture and we are extremely excited to work with him to further inspire our team with positive, entertaining and consistently winning cricket.”
