Jonathan Trott has been appointed as the England Lions head coach for their upcoming tours of the Caribbean, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, succeeding Andrew Flintoff in the role. Trott recently took charge of the Lions for their two T20 matches against Sri Lanka. He stepped down as Afghanistan’s head coach earlier this year and subsequently worked in short-term roles with Ireland and Glamorgan.
Flintoff stepped down from the position after taking charge of Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. He has previously expressed interest in becoming England’s white-ball coach, and his stint with the Lions could serve as valuable experience towards that ambition. Trott represented the Lions in 22 matches before making his England debut in 2009.
“Having played for the Lions myself, I know how valuable the experience can be in helping players develop, both on and off the field, and it played an important part in my own journey. I’m really looking forward to working with the players and staff, helping them fulfill their potential and preparing them for the demands of international cricket,” said Trott as quoted by Cricinfo.
The Lions will hold training camps in October before embarking on tours of other countries. ECB performance director Ed Barney said there will be a strong focus on 50-over cricket, with preparations underway for next year’s World Cup in Africa.
“Jonathan Trott is an outstanding coach who has a proven record in international cricket. We are delighted that he has agreed to lead our Lions programme during a busy winter. This winter’s Lions schedule has a 50-over focus across three tours as we look to prepare the next-in-line players for one-day international cricket,” said Barney.
“Alongside this, we have some key red-ball fixtures which will continue to provide opportunities to excel on the world stage whilst developing a broad skill set. Jonathan’s coaching expertise, and as a former England player who knows the value of the Lions programme having come through it himself, will be invaluable for those players as they look to progress their careers,” he added.
