Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has stepped down as head coach of Hundred franchise Northern Superchargers following a disagreement over pay with the new owners of fellow IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Andrew Flintoff is regarded as one of the most charismatic figures in the history of English cricket and will always be remembered domestically as an Ashes hero. However, the former all-rounder has also been seen in coaching roles with the England team and Northern Superchargers recently.
After finishing fourth in 2024, the team advanced to the eliminator (third place) this year under Flintoff’s leadership. The franchise, based in Headingley, Leeds, struggled to achieve much-needed results before Flintoff took over as manager in 2024.
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Andrew Flintoff partes ways with Northern Superchargers
Andrew Flintoff has stated that he would like to continue as head coach of the Northern Superchargers, but added that he would not be able to do so if he was paid far less than other head coaches in the tournament.
“Unfortunately, I’m not going to do it and it’s sad. Over the last two years, I felt like we were building something really great and I wanted to see it through to the end. We have new owners. I spoke to them. They approached me and said they wanted us to do it, and I said, ‘Okay, okay, make me an offer,”’ the 47-year-old told the Beard Before Wicket podcast, co-hosted by the Superchargers and England. Spinner Adil Rashid.
The Superchargers job was Flintoff’s first coaching role before he was also appointed in charge of the England Lions side. He will join the squad during the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia and will shadow England’s main squad.
Flintoff feels undervalued as head coach of the Northern Superchargers on his current salary
The issue was resolved by Andrew Flintoff, who said he was not satisfied with his recent salary and was unable to agree terms with the franchise’s new owners, the Sun Group (which also owns IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad).
“I’m not really doing it for the money, which is great, but I’m worth a little more than a quarter of the salary of other head coaches,” he said. “I wasn’t encouraged that they needed me anyway, but on the other hand, you want to feel valued too. So I told them it wouldn’t work for me, but they weren’t going to go ahead with it.”
Sun Group now owns 100% of the franchise after selling its 51% controlling interest, in addition to the 49% Yorkshire acquired at auction. The owners, who also own SA20 side Sunrisers Eastern Cape, claim they have offered Flintoff a pay rise.
“We have had discussions with Freddie and have offered him an increase over his current salary at Northern Superchargers. We would have loved to have him on board and we respect his decision,” a spokesperson said, as reported by the Indian Express.
Andrew Flintoff admits he has ‘a few offers’ for head coach role
Someone like Daniel Vettori could fill that role, but the SRH head coach is currently in charge of The Hundred’s other team, Birmingham Phoenix.
However, Andrew Flintoff claimed he had not made any decisions on the matter, although he had received several offers. With teams such as the Manchester Originals and Trent Rockets looking for new head coaches soon, Flintoff could be on the radar as a viable option.
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