Andrew Flintoff is certain to be involved in England’s training set-up again, limited-overs head coach Matthew Mott has said.
Former England skipper Flintoff, 45, has joined Mott’s coaching staff on an informal basis for part of this summer’s international commitments.
Flintoff was injured in an accident on the set of TV show Top Gear last year.
“He will definitely join us again in the future, we loved having him around,” Mott said.
Flintoff first worked with the England players during a four-match one-day international series against New Zealand in early September, when he was photographed for the first time since he was injured in a crash on the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
This stint was extended to include three ODIs against Ireland, which ended on Tuesday when the the last match at Bristol was abandoned because of the time.
Flintoff will not be part of England’s coaching squad for the World Cup in India in October and November and it is unclear when he will next join the team.
Asked if Flintoff could potentially be involved in England’s bilateral ODI and T20 series against the West Indies in December, Mott said he was “not sure”.
Mott highlighted the positive impact Flintoff has had on England’s players since becoming involved in coaching education.
“He (Flintoff) is revered, he has an aura around him, he is very special,” Mott added.
“What he has been through recently, the humility he has shown and the life experiences he can share have been immense.
“Even seasoned Test veterans have grown up idolizing him and seeing him in the flesh deliver so much has been very special.
“He’s looking forward to the under-19 route (and that’s) an incredible asset to have. He’s loved it – he’s certainly had a lot of banter over the last week and long may it continue.”
Following the December 13 accident, Flintoff received medical treatment at the scene before being transported to a hospital for further treatment.
In March, the BBC apologized to Flintoff for his injuries and said it would continue to support him during his recovery.
Flintoff retired from cricket in 2009 after playing 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven T20s for England.
He played a key role in England’s Ashes successes in 2005 and 2009, and was captain between 2006 and 2007.
Flintoff moved into TV presenting after retiring and joined Top Gear as a presenter in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
The archer could play a role in the World Cup
Mott also expanded on Jofra Archer’s inclusion as a traveling reserve in England’s World Cup squad and indicated he could be fit enough to feature towards the end of the tournament if a bowler were to get injured.
Archer, who toppled the super in the 2019 final, was not included in The 15-man English team as he continues to recover from injury, but will travel to India to continue his rehabilitation.
The 28-year-old Sussex fast bowler missed the entire summer at home with a stress fracture in his right elbow, but has trained with the England white ball team this month.
“Jofra is not fit to play until the end of the tournament, so his focus is largely on working intensively with our medical team,” Mott explained.
“We were careful not to rush him and that message was clear to him.
“He understands, he’s desperate to play, but he’s also realistic that if this thing happens again it could have serious consequences.
“We’ll take him there, work with him and if something happens in the background, that’s someone who could step in.”
Mott also said leg-spinner Adil Rashid and fast bowler Mark Wood were both “fine” and being carefully managed ahead of the tournament, with neither player having played recently.
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