Former England batter and ex-Afghanistan Men’s cricket team head coach, Jonathan Trott, has been appointed to a short-term consultancy role with the Ireland Men’s squad starting next week.

The 45-year-old was a reputed top-order batter who featured in 52 Tests, 68 ODIs and seven T20Is for England Men between 2007 and 2015. In 2022, he was announced as the head coach of Afghanistan Men’s cricket team and held that position until February 2026.

However, the Afghanistan stint wasn't the first time Trott was involved in a coaching role. He had previously been a member of the coaching staff of England Under-19 Men at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2017, assistant coach at Warwickshire and has worked with Kent and Scotland in coaching roles.

He will have a 14-day tenure in the consultancy role and his primary focus will be on supporting the Ireland Men’s squad’s preparations for the series and advising on matchdays for the ODI series against Afghanistan.

Graeme West, Director of High Performance at Cricket Ireland, said that Trott's recent association with Afghanistan will help Ireland prepare better for the series, which he believes is a great preparation for the ODI World Cup Qualifiers in early 2027.

“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. 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," West said in an official statement released by Cricket Ireland.

“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," he added.

The first ODI is scheduled to be held at the Bready Cricket Club in Bready, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday, August 5.

The second ODI will also be held at the same venue on August 7. Meanwhile, the last three ODIs will be held at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on August 10, 12, and 14, respectively. This is going to Ireland's first assignment since their historic 2-0 win in the T20I series against India last month.