Report | Tim Southee joins former teammate Brendon McCullum in England’s coaching setup as ‘special skills consultant’

‌Former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is set to join his former teammate and skipper Bredon McCullum in England’s coaching setup after he was appointed as the team’s ‘special skills consultant’ on a short-term basis. The all-format deal will see the Kiwi replace James Anderson in the support staff, who is set to play for Lancashire in County cricket this season. Anderson had, in July last year, joined the England coaching staff straightaway after ending his 21-year-long career at the end of the first Test in the three-match series against West Indies.

Southee’s assignment will start with England’s one-off four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on May 22. He will also be in charge of the side during the white-ball home series against West Indies, which will include three ODIs and T20Is, with his tenure ending with the last Test of the five-match series against India on August 4.

With 776 wickets in 394 matches at an average of 29.57 and a strike rate of 44.2, Southee is the highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in international cricket across formats. He made his final appearance in the home Test series against England late last year picking up six wickets in three matches.