Andrew Flintoff has promised to “inspire the next generation” after the former England all-rounder and television presenter was named head coach of the England Lions. Flintoff will lead the men’s development team on tours of South Africa and Australia over the winter, and through home series against India A and Zimbabwe next summer.

The appointment continues a rapid rise through the coaching ranks since Flintoff returned his attention to the sport after a serious car accident while filming the BBC series Top Gear in December 2022. He joined the England white-ball side as a consultant coach late last year, and was given his first head coach position with Northern Superchargers for this year’s Hundred.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement that Flintoff, who played 79 Tests and 141 one-day internationals between 1998 and 2009, “emerged as the standout candidate from a pool of high-calibre applicants”. But the appointment of a man with limited senior coaching experience or qualifications, who counts Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, among his closest friends and is represented by a talent agency, M&C Saatchi Merlin, that is chaired by Richard Thompson, also chair of the ECB, will nevertheless raise eyebrows.

He is now with England’s Test side, standing in for the interim white-ball coach, Marcus Trescothick, and presented the 20-year-old debutant Josh Hull with his cap before the start of the final Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Friday.

“Andrew stood out thanks to his inspirational leadership, coaching expertise, and deep understanding of the game,” said Ed Barney, the ECB men’s performance director. “His vision aligns very closely with the playing style and identity that has been fostered with the England men under Brendon McCullum and this appointment contributed to a truly exciting outlook for the future of English cricket.

“The England Lions … play a critical role in nurturing the next generation of talent. With Andrew’s guidance the players will continue to develop, thrive and take their game to new levels. I’m confident his influence will resonate across English cricket, helping drive the game forward.”

As well as coaching, Flintoff’s responsibilities as Lions head coach include team selection, player appraisals and reviewing player development with counties. He will appoint a group of coaches to assist him on tour – last winter’s trip to India was led by the ECB’s elite pace bowling coach, Neil Killeen, with four assistants and mentors including Graeme Swann and Dinesh Karthik.

“I’m incredibly excited to take on this role,” Flintoff said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the best up-and-coming talent in the country and to help shape the future of the men’s game. The future of the game in England is in excellent health.

“There is a wealth of talent emerging, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential. It’s an exciting time for English cricket, and I’m passionate about inspiring the next generation to take the sport forward. We’ve got a strong foundation, and I believe we can create something truly special.”

Earlier this year Flintoff said he had been nursing ambitions to go into coaching for some time but had been “not quite sure [of] my route to doing that, or who I’d coach and let’s be honest, who’d have me”. It is a decade since his first application for a coaching job with England – as the senior team’s head coach – was dismissed by the ECB as a joke. “We were getting beat, I was in the office and thought: ‘I’m going to apply,’” he said. “I wrote an email for the interview, a month passed and I’d heard nothing. I chased it up, then I got a phone call saying they thought it was somebody taking the mick.”

In July Flintoff’s son Rocky scored a century for England Under-19s and became Lancashire’s youngest ever first-team cricketer after being picked for a One-Day Cup game, and he made his first-class debut in the County Championship last month.