LONDON: Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has stepped down as head coach of the England Lions, the country’s cricket board said on Friday, leaving the 48-year-old to focus on his coaching role at Australia’s Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.

Flintoff had led England’s second-string side since September 2024 and was initially expected to continue in the role alongside his appointment at the Thunder, which was announced in June. He had been due to leave a planned Lions tour of South Africa early to join the Australian franchise.

However, he opted to leave the national setup ahead of the Lions’ upcoming assignments, including Pakistan’s four-day warm-up before a three-match test series against England later this month.

“Unfortunately, I’ve made the decision to step away from my role with the Lions,” Flintoff said in a statement.

“Not only have I enjoyed my time having the opportunity to work with the best young cricketers in the country, but have taken great pride in seeing them develop ... “I can’t wait to get started with the Thunder later in the year and see where coaching takes me.”

Flintoff also coached Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and worked with England’s white-ball teams in an informal consultant capacity before taking charge of the Lions.

The cricket board said Mike Yardy would take charge as the head coach of the Professional County Club Select XI for Pakistan’s four-day warm-up match at Beckenham beginning on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2026