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Legendary England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been announced as Sydney Thunder's new BBL coach.
Flintoff takes over from former England ODI World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss, who departed Thunder after five years at the helm, signing a two-year deal.
Thunder finished last in the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons during Bayliss' tenure.
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As a coach, Flintoff led England Lions on their tour of Australia and also Northern Superchargers, now known as Sunrisers Leeds, for two seasons of The Hundred.
He will continue to coach England Lions, who are currently playing a multi-format series against South Africa A, while in charge of the Thunder.
Flintoff, who will coach in the BBL for the first time, inherits a Thunder squad that boasts plenty of talent, including former Test players Sam Konstas, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, English wicketkeeper Sam Billings and white-ball international Tanveer Sangha.
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He said: "I can't wait to get over there and get started. I'm looking at this with a lot of optimism. You look at the franchise, you look at the players, you look at the support, and I think there's something really big to build on.
"You look at the squad and it's a real nice mix. You've got David Warner, Chris Green, Daniel Sams - some of these older guys are established cricketers, and you just want to provide an environment where they can go out there and flourish. We've seen how good they are. I saw Sam Konstas play against England U19s, against one of my lads - incredible talent. Matthew Gilkes and Tanveer Sangha are the same.
"I want our players to connect with the people that come and see us. I want them to enjoy playing cricket. However, all that is underpinned by hard work... I want them to play with passion and leave everything out there on the field. You look around the world now and everyone gets the opportunity to play for all different teams but one of my aims over the time with Sydney Thunder is that every player looks back thinking 'that's the best part of the year, that's a team that I want to play for'.
"I'm excited to come over, get involved and coach this team. I'm here to do the best job I possibly can for the team and everybody that comes out and supports us."
Enormous moment for Sydney Thunder and BBL
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Thunder general manager Trent Copeland described the appointment as an enormous moment for his club and the BBL.
"This is a huge day in the history of Sydney Thunder, and the BBL more broadly," Copeland said. "Fred brings something truly unique to Sydney Thunder. He's a global icon of the game, but more importantly he is a modern leader who understands how to build high-performance environments, connect with players as people, and set standards that last. His passion for the game, coaching itself and knowledge of Australian cricket and our Thunder program stood out during the process.
"The goal here isn't just about the now; it's about a step-change to establishing a culture and identity that will set us up for sustained success for years to come."
Watch the first Test between England and New Zealand, at Lord's, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 10am on Thursday (11am first ball). Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with NOW.
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