LONDON, England (CMC) — Former West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons has been appointed technical consultant to the Afghanistan national side.

The 53-year-old, who played 26 Tests and 143 One-Day Internationals for West Indies, will assist current Head Coach Lalchand Rajput, the ACB said.

“Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) management considers Simmons appointment a valuable step in players’ capacity development,” an ACB statement said. “His appointment will have a great impact on team performance.”

Simmons was sacked as West Indies coach last September, five months after overseeing the side’s capture of an unprecedented second Twenty20 World Cup in India.

He is a former Ireland head coach and spent six years in the role before leaving in 2015 to take charge of West Indies.

The first assignment for Trinidadian Simmons will be to help oversee Afghanistan’s preparation for a series against Ireland in Greater Noida comprising five One-Day Internationals, three Twenty20s and a four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture.

Simmons will then face another of his former teams when the Afghans take on West Indies in five ODIs and three T20s in June in the Caribbean.