Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has stepped down arsenic caput manager of England Lions.
The 48-year-old, who has been successful complaint of the Lions since September 2024, thanked England managing manager Rob Key successful his leaving connection for "trusting maine with 1 of the astir important roles successful English cricket."
Flintoff was named caput coach of Australian Big Bash franchise Sydney Thunder successful June, taking up his archetypal overseas T20 coaching role.
He was initially acceptable to proceed successful his Lions role, leaving a planned circuit of South Africa aboriginal to join-up with Thunder, but present departs the nationalist set-up.
"Unfortunately I've made the determination to measurement distant from my relation with the Lions," said Flintoff.
"Not lone person I enjoyed my clip having the accidental to enactment with the champion young cricketers successful the country, but person taken large pridefulness successful seeing them develop.
"I'd similar to convey the coaches and unit for each their passion, tireless enactment and enactment they springiness everyday.
"I can't hold to get started with the Thunder aboriginal successful the twelvemonth and spot wherever coaching takes me."
Flintoff besides spent 2 seasons arsenic Northern Superchargers men's manager successful The Hundred, starring the Leeds-based broadside to 4th and third-placed finishes.
He was not retained for 2026 aft the franchise was taken implicit by the owners of the Sunrisers group.
Prior to his assignment with the Lions, Flintoff helped coach England's white-ball sides connected an informal basis, having near his presumption arsenic a presenter connected tv driving programme Top Gear.
His past duty successful the Lions relation was South Africa A's circuit of England successful May and June, wherever his broadside mislaid some four-day matches and 2 of 3 50-over games.
"Fred has helped to alteration the Lions situation into a programme that has had a large interaction connected young players," said England and Wales Cricket Board men's show manager Ed Barney.
"Coaches person besides flourished alongside him, whether aboriginal successful their coaching travel oregon with decades of experience, and helium has consistently maximised the expertise astir the group.
"We privation him the champion successful the adjacent signifier of his coaching vocation and look guardant to a clip helium returns to the English game."
Mike Yardy volition measurement successful arsenic caput manager for the four-day Professional County Club Select XI lucifer that serves arsenic Pakistan's warm-up earlier their three-Test bid against England aboriginal this month.
The fixture begins astatine Beckenham connected Wednesday, 12 August, portion the Lions volition besides beryllium the absorption for Sri Lanka's 2 T20 warm-ups astatine the commencement of their limited-overs circuit of England successful September.
English (US)·