Gulf Giants Appoint Jonathan Trott as Head Coach, Shane Bond as Bowling Coach Ahead of ILT20 Auction

Gulf Giants have announced a major overhaul of their support staff ahead of the fourth season of the ILT20, naming former England batter Jonathan Trott as their new head coach and former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond as bowling coach. They replace Andy Flower and Ottis Gibson, respectively.

Trott, who guided Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, brings a wealth of coaching experience. He was also previously head coach of the Pretoria Capitals in SA20, a position now held by Sourav Ganguly.

Bond, renowned for his tactical bowling acumen, joins the Giants following recent coaching roles with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and Paarl Royals in SA20.

“The Gulf Giants have quickly become one of the ILT20's most successful teams,” Trott said in a statement. “My goal is to empower players to excel and help shape a championship-winning squad through the first-ever ILT20 auction.”

Bond echoed the franchise's ambitions, saying, “The team’s ambition is clear. I'm excited to sharpen our bowling attack and make a decisive impact this season.”

The ILT20 auction is scheduled for September 30 in Dubai, ahead of the league’s fourth season which will run from December 2, 2025 to January 4, 2026.

As part of the reshuffle, the Giants have also appointed Andrew Puttick as batting coach, Jim Troughton as fielding coach, and Nick Lee as fitness coach.

The team has retained key players including James Vince, Aayan Khan, Mark Adair, Blessing Muzarabani, and Gerhard Erasmus, while also bringing in Moeen Ali, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz as new signings.

Gulf Giants won the inaugural ILT20 title in 2023, reached the Qualifier 2 in 2024, but struggled in the most recent season, finishing second from bottom. The franchise will look to bounce back under its new coaching regime.