Rob Key pitches for Andrew Flintoff as next England head coach

Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is emerging as a strong candidate to take over as the national team's head coach according to men's cricket director Rob Key. Key stated England would be "stupid" to not consider Flintoff when the role becomes vacant.

Flintoff's coaching journey has rapidly accelerated over the past year. The 45-year-old suffered serious injuries while shooting for Top Gear in 2019 but has made a remarkable comeback to the sport he loves. Key, a close friend, has been instrumental in Flintoff's return, inviting him to spend last summer's Ashes series at the grounds.

“I said to Fred, ‘Find an office at the ground and watch from there’. For all the things he has done, cricket is always the thing he goes back to. Like all of us, it is the thing we know better than anything else and the thing we love. It is almost like he has no choice. It is what he thinks about the most after his family,” Key told Telegraph Sport. 

Also read: Andrew Flintoff prepares for potential TV return after horror Top Gear accident

'He is not going to need to learn leadership qualities' - Rob Key

Key opened up about why Flintoff's leadership qualities make him an ideal candidate for potential head coach, “Without question, I think he would be an excellent head coach, Who knows where he ends up in the future? He will be a worthy candidate going forward. When that time comes and whoever is in this job, and it might be outside of my time, they would be stupid not to look at him,” the director added.

Key compared Flintoff's man-management abilities to current captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, stating “Flintoff is a leader like [Ben] Stokes. He is not going to need to learn leadership qualities. He has those in abundance which is what you need at the top level. He has that empathy that Stokes has as well as being a great player," he added.

Also read: Andrew Flintoff attends KKR’s warm-up game in rare appearance

To gain experience, Flintoff will coach the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred and work with England's limited-overs team this summer, including at the T20 World Cup.  Importantly, Key emphasised the value of Flintoff's playing career.

“He knows what it is like to nick off and to struggle. All these things as a leader, your interactions with people, meaning you can impact people positively or negatively with everything you do. Fred is aware of that, and not many are aware of that, and he understands how to use that gift with people," Key concluded.