Set to play their first Test match on English soil since 2003, Zimbabwe have appointed former England and Zimbabwe international Gary Ballance as a consultant coach for the landmark fixture at Trent Bridge.

Ballance, who featured in 39 matches for England across formats, later represented Zimbabwe — his country of birth — in seven matches after switching allegiance.

In 2023, during his debut Test for Zimbabwe, Ballance became only the second player in history to score a century in Test cricket for two different nations, joining the ranks of Keppler Wessels, who achieved the feat for South Africa and Australia.