Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff will have first pick in The Hundred draft, taking his biggest step back into work since near-fatal Top Gear crash with head coach role at Northern Superchargers
- Andrew Flintoff will lead Northern Supercharges in first senior coaching role
- The 46-year-old is taking his biggest step back into cricket since car crash
- He is 'lucky to be alive' after crashing open-topped three-wheeler at 130mph
Andrew Flintoff will have first pick at this year’s Hundred draft ahead of his first senior coaching role, his biggest step back into work following his horror car crash in 2022.
The 46-year-old was 'lucky to be alive' after his is open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 car, which had no air bags, flipped over in December 2022, leaving him with severe facial injuries and several broken ribs.
It is a a major move for Flintoff following his near-fatal crash and he will be head coach of Northern Superchargers in the fourth year of the ECB’s 100-ball-a-side competition, after succeeding James Foster at Headingley and gets to kick-start the selection process by virtue of last season’s bottom-placed finish.
The 2005 Ashes hero returned to the public eye last September as part of the England team set-up as they prepared for the Cricket World Cup.
![Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is taking his biggest step back to work since his horror crash, having been with the England set up at points last year](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/11/81867939-13140531-Andrew_Freddie_Flintoff_is_taking_his_biggest_step_back_to_work_-a-37_1709207762861.jpg)
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is taking his biggest step back to work since his horror crash, having been with the England set up at points last year
![The much-loved former England star suffered a near-fatal accident in 2022](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/11/81867937-13140531-The_much_loved_former_England_star_suffered_a_near_fatal_acciden-m-39_1709207808033.jpg)
The much-loved former England star suffered a near-fatal accident in 2022
It was a low profile reintroduction into public life following the previous year's horrors, which saw Flintoff have to wait an agonising 45 minutes for an air ambulance before he spent five weeks in hospital, with some BBC staff who witnessed the crash signed off sick indefinitely as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The legendary former all-rounder evidently enjoyed his move back into cricket with his work around the national side last year and there will be some familiar faces in his Northern Superchargers set up.
England trio Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid and Harry Brook - players he has worked with in a mentoring capacity over the past eight months - have been retained by the Leeds-based team.
The 2024 draft takes place at The Shard on March 20, with England white-ball stars Dawid Malan and Jason Roy aiming to be amongst the 32 players snapped up - after being released by Trent Rockets and reigning champions Oval Invincible respectively.
A further 16 will then be selected as wildcard picks based on their performances in the Vitality Blast.
The Hundred’s fourth season gets underway at The Kia Oval on 23 July with an Oval Invincibles v Birmingham Phoenix double-header – the first of 68 games.
In the women’s competition, Birmingham Phoenix – who have retained both Australia’s Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine, of New Zealand – will be the first side choosing at the draft.
Flintoff, it is understood, reached a £9million settlement with the BBC after the crash factoring in loss of earnings.
![Flintoff was back on the pitch with the England ODI side during an ODI series last year](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/11/75263417-13140531-Andrew_Flintoff_was_back_on_the_pitch_with_the_England_ODI_side_-a-7_1709205986265.jpg)
Flintoff was back on the pitch with the England ODI side during an ODI series last year
![Paddy McGuinness gave an update on his former Top Gear co-host after his horror crash on the show on Good Morning Britain on Monday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/11/81719325-13140531-Paddy_McGuinness_gave_an_update_on_his_former_Top_Gear_co_host_A-a-23_1709206988214.jpg)
Paddy McGuinness gave an update on his former Top Gear co-host after his horror crash on the show on Good Morning Britain on Monday
And his wife Rachael reportedly begged him to stay off work. Last July, he was still covering his face, revealed former team-mate Steve Harmison, who said at the time: 'It's been tough, you've seen the pictures of him with a smile on his face but I saw him when my son Charlie and his son, Rocky played against each other and it was great to see him.
Harmison added: 'I got to see him then but at that time he covered his face up when he walked around – believe it or not, he was training a guide dog which I'm sure is going better now than it was because he tripped over around three times on his way around the field!'
This week, Flintoff's ex-Top Gear co-host Paddy McGuinness gave an update, saying: 'He's alright. 'I've not spoke to him for a while but you know he's getting on with it. He's a very resilient character is Fred so I've no doubt he'll be as right as rain.
In addition to returning to work in the cricketing world, Flintoff has no plans on finishing with broadcasting.
![He is set to replace James Foster as the coach of the Leeds-based team in the ECB’s 100-ball competition (Harry Brook pictured for the Superchargers back in August)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/11/77801019-13140531-He_is_set_to_replace_James_Foster_as_the_coach_of_the_Leeds_base-a-8_1709206003098.jpg)
He is set to replace James Foster as the coach of the Leeds-based team in the ECB’s 100-ball competition (Harry Brook pictured for the Superchargers back in August)
It was revealed in January that Freddie has also been holding meetings with production company South Shore over a second series of his BBC cricket show Field of Dreams.
The former Top Gear host has been speaking with the crew and filming is expected to start in the spring.
A TV source told The Sun: 'Freddie and staff have been quietly working on it since last month.
'It will be his first major TV project in two years. Filming will start in a few months, when it's warmer outside, and will take place in the north of England.'
![Flintoff (right) handed Tom Hartley his ODI cap against Ireland in September](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/29/12/76157085-13140531-Freddie_Flintoff_right_handed_Tom_Hartley_his_ODI_cap_against_Ir-a-40_1709208282753.jpg)
Flintoff (right) handed Tom Hartley his ODI cap against Ireland in September
Speaking last October in presenting a cap to debutant Tom Hartley, Flintoff admitted it had been the hardest few months of his life: 'It gives me so much pleasure to share what's going to be a day, Tom, that you're going to remember for the rest of your life. Your journey hasn't been like a lot of people's. There was no academies, no systems but to me (that) suggests a steeliness, a determination, a passion which might not be evident on the outside but it's definitely burning inside.
'When you get this cap it changes your life. It's one of those things, it's before and after it. This enables you to walk tall and move faster. Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief. And also a part of a family of people.
'They'll share the good times with you, the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they'll be there in the hardest times of your life, they will stand next to you.'