Andrew Flintoff has been earmarked as a potential caretaker coach of the England senior white-ball teams this year if Brendon McCullum requires a break before the Ashes.
The England Test coach took over the national limited-overs sides two months ago in a new dual role but, given the gruelling schedule, McCullum may be given the option to miss some series, particularly as his family remain based in New Zealand.
England have 21 white-ball games and six Tests before the first Ashes Test begins in Perth on 21 November, including a five-Test home series against India this summer. An extra six games in New Zealand in November have been added to England’s packed itinerary since McCullum was appointed, leading to a growing awareness at the England and Wales Cricket Board that his workload will have to be carefully managed.
Flintoff is seen as a possible stand‑in and could even be primed to replace McCullum in the white‑ball role when his contract expires after the 2027 World Cup. The former England captain has been given a one‑year contract as coach of England Lions, who are in Abu Dhabi on a training camp; the squad includes his 16-year-old son Rocky.
In a sign of the close alignment between England’s senior and development squads the Test captain, Ben Stokes, has also been Abu Dhabi as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury and the England men’s performance director, Rob Key, has attended the camp. Key is close to Flintoff and has played a crucial role in encouraging the former all-rounder’s burgeoning coaching career, and return to the public eye, after he sustained serious injuries in a car crash while filming for Top Gear in December 2022.
Flintoff’s return to cricket after several years focusing on his successful TV career came as an unpaid consultant during England’s 50-over series against New Zealand and Ireland in the buildup to the 2023 World Cup. The 47-year-old was not involved during England’s disappointing World Cup defence in India, but was added to the backroom staff in a paid role for the five-match T20 trip to the West Indies the following December.
Flintoff was an assistant coach at the T20 World Cup last year before joining the red-ball squad for England’s final Test of the summer against Sri Lanka at the Oval, where he presented a cap to the debutant left-arm seamer Josh Hull. After taking charge of the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred in his first role as a head coach, Flintoff was appointed England Lions coach in September, taking the development squad on tours of South Africa and Australia last winter.
England Lions have home series against Zimbabwe and India A this summer, but with Key adopting a fluid approach to the composition of coaching teams Flintoff’s expertise is likely to be called upon by the senior sides. Marcus Trescothick was appointed interim white-ball coach last year after the dismissal of Matthew Mott, but the former England opener is also assistant coach to McCullum with the Test team so may require a break at the same time.
McCullum has endured a difficult start to his new role as one-day head coach, with England winning just one of 11 matches across both formats this year and crashing out in the group stage at the Champions Trophy last month with three successive defeats.
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While the 43-year-old will definitely lead the one-day side for six matches against West Indies in May and June the ECB acknowledge that he may need a break after the India Test series, as could some of his multi-format players such as Stokes, Joe Root and Harry Brook.
McCullum will get some time off when the Hundred is taking place during August, with a three‑match one‑day international series in Ireland in September the most obvious one for him to miss as he prepares for the Ashes.
Given the congested schedule the New Zealand white-ball games in November may even double up as Ashes preparation due to the short turnaround time, with just seven days separating the two tours.