Andrew Flintoff quits franchise after ugly salary dispute with Sunrisers Hyderabad owners
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Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has parted ways as the head coach of the Hundred franchise Northern Superchargers after disagreement over pay with new owners who also own the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
Andrew Flintoff is often regarded as one of the most charismatic figures in the history of English cricket and will always be remembered as an Ashes hero in the nation. However, the former all-rounder has taken up coaching roles in recent times, as he was seen in such roles for the English side as well as the Northern Superchargers.
The team finished fourth in 2024 before reaching the eliminator (third) this year under Flintoff's leadership. The franchise is based at Headingley in Leeds and did not have many desired results before Flintoff took over in 2024.
Andrew Flintoff parted ways with the Northern Superchargers
Andrew Flintoff said that he wanted to continue in the role of the head coach of the Northern Superchargers, but added that he couldn't do so if he was paid much less than the other head coaches in the tournament.
“Unfortunately, I’m not going to do it, which is sad. The past two years I felt we were building something really nice and I’d have loved to see it through. We’ve got new owners. I spoke to them. They phoned up, they said they wanted us to do it, so I said: ‘Yeah, fine. Make us an offer,’ the 47-year-old said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, co-hosted by 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 be with the squad, shadowing the main England squad during the upcoming Ashes tour in Australia.
Flintoff feels his current pay doesn't make him feel valued as the head coach of the Northern Superchargers
This has been cleared through Andrew Flintoff's words that he is unhappy with his recent pay, and he could not agree on terms with the new owners of the franchise, the Sun Group, who also own the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“I genuinely don’t do it for the money, although it’s nice, but I’m worth more than just over a quarter of the [salary of] other head coaches,” he said. “I wasn’t encouraged they wanted me anyway, but then also you want to feel valued. So, I said that it’s not going to work for me, and they weren’t going to move on it.”
The Sun Group now owns a 100 percent stake in the franchise, after Yorkshire sold the 51 percent control they held to them, in addition to the 49 percent acquired via the auction. The owners, who also own the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, have claimed that they offered Flintoff a hike in salary.
“We had discussions with Freddie and extended an offer, which was an increase over his current salary at Northern Superchargers. While we would have loved to have him on board, we respect his decision,” a spokesperson said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
Andrew Flintoff confirmed having 'a couple of offers' for a head coach role
While the likes of Daniel Vettori might be considered for the role, the SRH head coach at the moment is currently in charge of another team in The Hundred, the Birmingham Phoenix.
However, Andrew Flintoff has claimed that he has received several offers but hasn't decided anything on the matter. With franchises like Manchester Originals and Trent Rockets in search of a new person as head coach soon, Flintoff might be drawing attention as a viable option.
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Northern Superchargers The Hundred Andrew Flintoff Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL England National Cricket Team
