- Andrew Flintoff has joined the England Test squad this week
- He has taken on a coaching role for their final Test match against Sri Lanka
- This comes after Flintoff’s moving documentary aired on the BBC
Andrew Flintoff appeared to be enjoying life as he returned to the England coaching staff ahead of the final Test match of the summer.
Flintoff, 46, has been in a coaching role with England for the past 12 months, having returned to the sport in December 2022 following his horrific crash on Top Gear.
He will not be in the side when England take on Australia in white-ball cricket later this month, with interim manager Marcus Trescothick taking charge before Brendon McCullum becomes England’s all-format coach from January.
But Flintoff is gaining experience with the Test team and looked in good spirits at the Oval on Wednesday.
Flintoff, who still has visible scars on his face from his horrific crash, beamed as he took part in the football team’s usual warm-up before being pleased to fire some balls to the batsmen in preparation for the third Test match against Sri Lanka, which starts on Friday.
Andrew Flintoff was in good spirits as he returned to the England coaching line-up on Wednesday
He became involved in the usual English warm-up football match at the Oval
He was also happy to throw balls to the batters as they prepare for Friday’s Test
Stand-in captain Ollie Pope will be hoping England can win the series with a clean sweep and complete their sixth straight win after beating the West Indies 3-0 earlier this summer.
England are set to give left-handed hurler Josh Hull his international debut and the 20-year-old is likely to be nervous as he looks to prove he is a real star despite his modest county championship record.
However, the mood in the England training camp seems relaxed, with Flintoff clearly enjoying being back with the group.
His return as coach follows his gripping documentary which recently aired on the BBC.
The second series of Field of dreams saw Flintoff take a group of unlikely lads from Lancashire on a unique tour of India.
Flintoff took a group of underprivileged teenagers to India as part of his moving documentary
The Ashes hero won praise from viewers for his emotional BBC documentary
The response to the show was overwhelmingly positive, with Flintoff, also known as Freddie, showing his softer side as he sat down with underprivileged teenagers in a personal conversation to discuss their worries and concerns.
The group participated in the Hindu Holi festival, watched Kushti wrestling and had a tarot card reading.
Flintoff, who rose to prominence after starring in the 2005 Ashes, has received praise from fans, with one person writing on X: ‘Why does this programme make me cry? Because it’s full of hope – full of guys from different backgrounds, different cultures working together with a brilliant mentor Freddie Flintoff who knows how to lift them up to achieve their dreams. So brilliant and so necessary.’