- Andrew Flintoff has joined the England Test squad this week.
- He has taken on a coaching role for their final Test against Sri Lanka.
- This comes after Flintoff’s moving documentary aired on the BBC.
Andrew Flintoff appeared to be enjoying life as he rejoined the England coaching staff ahead of the team’s final test of the summer.
Flintoff, 46, has taken on a coaching role with England for the past 12 months after returning to the sport following his horror crash on Top Gear in December 2022.
He will not be involved when England take on Australia in white-ball cricket later this month, with interim coach Marcus Trescothick taking charge before Brendon McCullum becomes England’s all-format coach from January.
But Flintoff is gaining more experience with the Test team and was in good spirits at the Oval on Wednesday.
Flintoff, who still has visible scars on his face from his terrifying accident, was seen beaming as he engaged with the team’s customary warm-up game of football, and was then happy to send down some deliveries for the batsmen as they prepare for the third Test against Sri Lanka, which starts on Friday.
Andrew Flintoff appeared in good spirits as he rejoined the England coaching staff on Wednesday.
He took part in England’s traditional warm-up football match at the Oval.
He was also happy to throw pitches to the batters as they prepare for Friday’s test.
Stand-in captain Ollie Pope is looking to guide England to a clean sweep of the series and their sixth consecutive win after beating the West Indies 3-0 earlier this summer.
England are set to give left-handed spinner Josh Hull his international debut, with the 20-year-old likely to be feeling the nerves as he attempts to prove he is the real deal despite his modest record in the County Championship.
The mood within the England camp appears to be relaxed, however, with Flintoff clearly enjoying being back in the group.
His return to coaching comes after his moving documentary recently aired on the BBC.
The second series of Field of dreams It saw Flintoff take a group of unlikely lads from Lancashire on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to India.
Flintoff took a group of underprivileged teenagers to India as part of his moving documentary.
Ashes hero receives praise from viewers for emotional BBC documentary
Reaction to the show has been overwhelmingly positive, with Flintoff, aka Freddie, showing his softer side by sitting down to chat one-on-one with disadvantaged teenagers to address their worries and concerns.
The group participated in the Hindu festival of Holi, watched Kushti wrestling and sat down to read tarot cards.
Flintoff, who became a household name after starring in The Ashes in 2005, received praise from fans. One person wrote on X: “Why does this show make me cry? Because it’s full of hope, full of kids from different backgrounds, different cultures working together with a brilliant mentor, Freddie Flintoff, who knows how to help them achieve their dreams. So brilliant and so necessary.”
