Flintoff steps down as England Lions coach

Aug 8 : 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 match before a three-match test series against England later this month."Unfortunately I've made the decision to step away from m