JONATHAN TROTT has been appointed as the England Lions head coach ahead of the team’s winter schedule.
The 45-year-old legend has replaced Freddie Flintoff, 48, as the Lions head coach after four years with Afghanistan.
Trott has returned to England after previously holding an assistant coaching role with the senior team during the Covid-19 .
He also stood in as the Lions’ head coach during their 2-0 T20 series win against Sri Lanka last week.
The former England star has been handed the keys full-time after with hopes of landing a franchise job in August.
It is the latest change in the England cricket management team after in July.
South African-born Trott previously starred for England in three Ashes wins, going on to make 52 Test and 75 white-ball appearances for the nation.
This included becoming just the 18th English player to score a century on his Test debut during the 2009 Ashes victory.
He retired from international cricket in 2015 with nine Test and four one-day centuries for England.
Since retiring, Trott has established himself as a top coaching candidate with his move to Afghanistan in 2022.
This role saw the former batsman lead Afghanistan to a first-ever ICC semi-final in 2024.
ECB Men’s Performance Director Ed Barney has praised the appointment in a statement .
Barney said: “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.
New coach Trott has also explained that he will draw from his own experiences to help guide his new team.
Trott said: “I’m delighted to be back working in the England set-up and hugely excited to take on the role of Head Coach of the England Lions.
“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.”
The Lions will open their winter schedule with a tour of the West Indies, beginning on Tuesday, October 27.
This will be followed by tours of South Africa and Sri Lanka starting in November and February, respectively.
