Sydney Thunder appoint England's 2005 Ashes hero as head coach

Sydney Thunder have signed Andrew Flintoff as their new head coach, replacing Trevor Bayliss. The former England allrounder has signed a two-year contract with Thunder and will stay till the end of BBL | 17. Bayliss spent five years at Thunder as head coach.

He led them to a runners-up finish in the 2024-25 season. However, a wooden-spoon finish in 2025-26 pulled the curtains down on Bayliss' association with the team.

Thunder general manager Trent Copeland termed the appointment as a "huge day in the history of Sydney Thunder, and the BBL more broadly."

"This is a huge day in the history of Sydney Thunder, and the BBL more broadly," Copeland said in a press release. "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."

This will only be Flintoff's second coaching stint in the T20 circuit, having previously coached Northern Superchargers (now Sunrisers Leeds) in the men's Hundred in 2024 and 2025. Flintoff has also been coaching England Lions (England's A side), and his contract with Thunder is likely to impact his role when the England Lions tour South Africa in December, as it will clash with the start of the BBL.

Flintoff expressed excitement over the opportunity to work with some incredible talent and said that he wanted the players to enjoy themselves.

"I can't wait to get over there and get started," Flintoff said. "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 Under-19s, 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."

Flintoff also has playing experience in the BBL. He represented Brisbane Heat (BH) in seven fixtures, scoring 46 runs and claiming three wickets.