Patrick Madden: Andrew Flintoff's time will come for England

It is the summer we waved goodbye to Jimmy, with England's greatest-ever bowler ushered into retirement – perhaps hastily – shortly before his 42nd birthday.

It will take a while to get used to James Anderson's absence. For 21 years he's been an ever-present in people's lives, providing an endless summer soundtrack of thin edges and castled stumps.

But as Anderson departed another name has made a soothing, welcome return to scorecards in county cricket. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you – that is Flintoff batting for Lancashire.

Andrew Flintoff is a totemic, elemental figure of English cricket. And now his second-youngest son, Rocky, is marching out to bat for his county aged 16.

Rocky Flintoff started the summer with a run of good scores for the county second XI, emphasising his potential with a fine 106 for England Under-19s against Sri Lanka in July.

In an age where even second XI County cricket is now available to digest on social media, it didn't take long for word to spread.

Video clips of Flintoff junior's various innings were soon being shared on Instagram and WhatsApp. Squint and it's spookily hard to distinguish him from his old man, with brutal, short-armed pull shots over mid-wicket transporting you back to 2004.

Rocky Flintoff is a precocious talent, but his introduction into Lancashire's first XI – he is playing his second County Championship match against Hampshire this week - has partly been hastened through necessity.

For much of the summer Lancashire, as with many counties, have lost their best players to The Hundred, a risible circus which now dominates the guts of the English summer.

This has given the likes of Rocky Flintoff a taste of first XI cricket in the One Day Trophy - a small positive to take from the marginalisation of a once great competition. 

But if English cricket ever has anything to really thank The Hundred for, then it might be for aiding the re-emergence of Flintoff senior.

Over the past year, Andrew Flintoff has been back in the public eye, as his recovery from a serious crash while filming Top Gear in December 2022 continues.

As harrowing as it has been to hear about the extent of his life-changing injuries and the toll they have taken – something he lays bare in the excellent second series of Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams on the BBC – it has also been comforting to have him back on the premises.

Flintoff has spent a year working with England's white-ball sides, travelling to the West Indies as an assistant coach for June's T20 World Cup.

He was also head coach of the Northern Superchargers during this summer's Hundred, with his side winning five of their eight games and narrowly missing out on the playoffs. (Your writer, a staunch Hundred denier, had to look this up).

Flintoff, however, won't be involved in England's white-ball series against the touring Australians in September. Captain Jos Buttler reportedly didn't gel with him during the T20 World Cup, where his side were hammered by India in the semi-finals.

But as long as the position of England limited-overs coach remains vacant after Matthew Mott's timely departure, Flintoff's name will be in the mix.

Rob Key, England's managing director of cricket, is great mates with the former all-rounder, and touted him as a future head coach earlier this year.

There are few players who match the 'Bazball' ethos like Flintoff did – he played aggressive, proud, chest-out cricket before it became cool.

And there are few people who command the respect of players and the public like Flintoff does. Flintoff's Ashes in 2005 captivated a generation, creating formative memories for future cricketing stars.

With England's one-day and T20 sides embarking on a major rebuild, he would be an energising, inspiring and universally welcomed appointment as head coach.

And while it seems unlikely Flintoff, who is slowly but surely building his CV as a coach, will be given the job this time around – his time will come.

In the meantime, we can take pleasure from seeing the big man enjoying the game again.

Freddie, it's great to have you back.

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