Watch Pakistan vs Australia ODI series LIVE & EXCLUSIVE on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 ><\/a><\/p>\n Bayliss, who mentored the Thunder for five seasons, was stood down in February after the Thunder received the dreaded spoon last summer with just two wins.<\/p>\n Flintoff, the hero of England\u2019s unforgettable Ashes triumph in 2005, played seven matches for the Brisbane Heat during the 2014\/25 Big Bash, becoming a fan favourite for his on-field antics.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get over there and get started,\u201d Flintoff said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019s something really big to build on. <\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the squad and it\u2019s a real nice mix. You\u2019ve got David Warner, Chris Green, Daniel Sams \u2013 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\u2019ve seen how good they are.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw Sam Konstas play against England under 19\u2019s, against one of my lads \u2013 incredible talent. Matthew Gilkes and Tanveer Sangha are the same.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n \u201cYou 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 \u201cthat\u2019s the best part of the year, that\u2019s a team that I want to play for.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to come over, get involved and coach this team. I\u2019m here to do the best job I possibly can for the team and everybody that comes out and supports us.\u201d <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779017096_680_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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