Former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee has penned a short-term deal with England cricket, which will see him as a part of the support staff until the five-match Test series against India. He will replace James Anderson for the role.
England announced the appointment of Tim Southee on a short-term deal as a special skills consultant. The former New Zealand captain will replace James Anderson, who instead will be playing for Lancashire in the County Championship. Meanwhile, Southee’s first assignment will be the one-off Test against Zimbabwe next week, followed by the ODI and T20I series against West Indies, later in the month.
Southee will also be a part of the coaching staff during the five-match Test series against India. After the marquee series ends on August 4, the cricketer will join Birmingham Phoenix for the upcoming edition of The Hundred. In the last edition, he clinched 14 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 6.81.
Notably, the 36-year-old retired from Test cricket in December 2024 after a 2-1 series defeat to England. He has played 107 Test matches in his career, picking up 391 wickets. In total, Southee has clinched 776 wickets in international cricket – the most by any New Zealand cricketer.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board has issued a statement, confirming the development. In the statement, his experience and valuable insight were highlighted. “With his vast experience of playing in a wide range of conditions around the world and across all formats, [Southee] brings valuable insight and knowledge to the players,” it read.
Southee has already joined the England camp and started preparing for the Zimbabwe series. The England team shared an image of him talking to Ben Stokes ahead of the Test against the Chevrons, slated to begin on May 22 and will be played at Trent Bridge. Currently, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Olly Stone are all absent from the Test against Zimbabwe. The veteran will be working alongside Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir, among others.
