England is considering Tim Southee for the fast-bowling consultant post ahead of their home summer series.
England are considering former New Zealand seamer Tim Southee for the role of fast-bowling consultant during their upcoming home summer. The 36-year-old, who retired from international cricket in December as New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker, could step in for James Anderson, who is unavailable due to his County commitments with Lancashire.
Anderson, 42, had taken up the consultant role after retiring from Test cricket last year. While he has been a regular face in the England dressing room since retirement, his playing duties for Lancashire this season have taken priority.
Southee shares a strong bond with England head coach Brendon McCullum. In fact, McCullum made a heartfelt presentation to him on the field in Hamilton following his final game for New Zealand. If appointed, Southee would be the third Kiwi on England’s coaching staff, alongside McCullum and assistant coach Jeetan Patel.
It is believed that England have also approached other names for the role. The person chosen will be responsible for managing England’s pace attack through a crucial year that includes a home Test series against India followed by the high-stakes Ashes in Australia.
England will begin their international summer with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge next month. The squad is expected to be announced later this week.
Injuries to senior bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have left England with an inexperienced pace group. Gus Atkinson, with just 11 Tests under his belt, will be the most experienced seamer in the squad.
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Sam Cook, 27, appears likely to earn his first Test call-up after being rested from Essex’s County Championship match against Somerset earlier this month at England’s request. Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts are also expected to be in contention. Brydon Carse is recovering from a foot injury, while Jofra Archer — currently playing in the Indian Premier League — could return to red-ball cricket with England Lions in June against India A.
Until Anderson’s retirement, England did not have a dedicated pace-bowling coach in the setup. However, his presence in the dressing room since stepping away from international cricket has filled that gap.
Anderson has signed a one-year deal to play for Lancashire this summer. He has clearly stated that his priority lies with the club over any coaching duties.
The veteran pacer is yet to feature this season due to a calf injury and will miss Lancashire’s upcoming Championship game against Gloucestershire starting Friday. Nonetheless, he could return to the national setup in time for the Ashes series later this year.
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