The England International Andrew Flintoff has been named as the head coach of the Sydney Thunder in the BBL.

He has signed a two-year contract with the Thunder and will be replacing Trevor Bayliss, who has been in the role for five seasons.

This will be Flintoff’s first stint for Flintoff to take a coaching role outside of England. He has also been the England Lions Coach and England A in the last 12 months.

As a player, Andrew Flintoff has played for Brisbane Heat in the BBL, where he made seven appearances, scoring 74 runs and accounting for three wickets.

His appointment will impact his involvement with England Lions on a tour of Australia last summer that shadowed the Ashes tour.

Speaking on his appointment, Andrew Flintoff said, “I can’t wait to get over there and get started,” he 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,” added Andrew.

“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,” further added Flintoff.

“I want our players to connect with the people who 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,” said a statement from Flintoff.

“You look around the world now, and everyone gets the opportunity to play for all different teams, but one of my aims over 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’” he added.

“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,” concluded Flintoff.

It will be interesting to action over David Warner’s future as Sydney Thunder captain who was charged with drink driving in April.

Sydney 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,” concluded Trent Copeland.