Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff parted ways with the national team’s coaching setup ahead of the upcoming series against Australia after reports of his strained relations with white-ball captain Jos Buttler. England is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series and a five-match ODI series against arch-rivals Australia, however, the former all-rounder would not be part of England’s team management during the series. The 46-year-old Flintoff joined England’s white-ball setup in 2023 and served as the team’s assistant coach during the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024. England struggled in the early stages of the tournament, however, they bounced back and reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated by eventual champions India.

There were reports indicating that Andrew Flintoff and team captain Jos Buttler had a strained relationship during the ICC T20 World Cup, which ultimately resulted in the former all-rounder leaving the team. Flintoff, recently, conveyed his deep affection for the sport of cricket and expressed his profound gratitude for the opportunity to be actively engaged in the game as a coach. “Cricket has given me so much. It’s all I ever wanted to do as a kid and I got the opportunity to live my dream,” said Flintoff. “I feel really lucky to be back here and I want the lads to cherish playing. When you finish playing, you look back and it passes so quickly, but you just take time when you’re out there, just to have a look around and take it in and live in the moment.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan