Trott joins Ireland in short-term consultancy role

Former England batter Jonathan Trott has joined Cricket Ireland in a short-term consultancy role.

Trott, whose four-year spell as Afghanistan head coach came to an end in February, has been linked as a replacement for Brendon McCullum, who was sacked as England Test coach on Monday.

The 45-year-old has previously held coaching roles with England Under-19s, Warwickshire, Kent and Scotland.

His consultancy role will last for 14 days and will focus on supporting the Ireland men's squad's preparations for their one-day international series against Afghanistan next month.

He will advise on matchdays for the first two games on 5 and 7 August in Bready.

"The upcoming one-day international series against Afghanistan is critical to Ireland men's squads preparations for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualifier in early 2027," said Cricket Ireland director of high performance Graeme West.

"This is a rare opportunity to bring a world-class coach into the senior team environment offering a wealth of current knowledge on the opposition.

"Having worked with the Afghanistan squad, Jonathan is perfectly placed to support our strategic planning for the series, providing our players and staff with a new perspective - expanding their skills, knowledge and understanding of 50-over cricket.

"Jonathan's value extends beyond player development, once he enters the training camp he will be able to share his wide range of leadership experiences with the coaching staff, outlining his philosophy working with world-class players and his methodology in managing an International team."