Andrew Flintoff throws in his hat to coach England

What's the story?

Former captain and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has expressed his desire to coach the England cricket team, following the news that the current coach Trevor Bayliss would step down from his duties in 2019.

Speaking on his podcast Flintoff, Savage and The Ping Pong Guy, he said,"I’m talking with my heart, yes (I’ll apply), I want to do it one day … if they want me to do it, I’ll do it. We spoke about it and I was serious, but I had to think if I’d be better than the person they’re choosing."

"A coach’s job now is to get players feeling the best they can be to perform, as a coach or mentor, that’d be my greatest asset," he added.

"When I look back now, I should’ve spent more time on my head, I spent all the time in the gym and practising, but I should’ve spent more time focussing on my mind", Flintoff concluded.

In case you didn't know...

Following England's crushing 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, earlier this month, Trevor Bayliss announced that he will not extend his contract that expires at the end of the 2019 Ashes.

Bayliss was appointed in 2015 and out of the 38 Test matches under his mentorship, England lost 18 and won 15.

The heart of the matter

England's Ashes 2005 hero Flintoff had applied for the coaching role in 2014 as well, but, he was overlooked and Peter Moores was re-appointed to do the job.

Flintoff added that after applying he realised that Moore would make a better coach and that is why he withdrew his application.

The 40-year-old also admitted that he wrote emails to the England and Wales Cricket Board but did not get any reply.

What’s next?

Flintoff, who retired from international cricket in 2010, has been a strong advocate for mental health since then.

He said, if appointed, he would emphasise on the mental side of the game rather than a heavy focus on skills.

As far as the English team is concerned, currently they are contesting in a five-match ODI series against Australia, Down Under.

The visitors won the first ODI by five wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the series. The second game will be played in Brisbane on Friday, January 19.

Author’s take

Although Flintoff possesses the skills required to make a good coach, his off the field antics and a controversial demeanour during his playing days might be the reasons behind ECB ignoring his application in the past.

However, it would be interesting to see how the board handles Flintoff's interest that he has made public with his podcastthis time.