Tim Southee Joins England Coaching Staff as Specialist Consultant Ahead of Zimbabwe Test

Former New Zealand pace great Tim Southee has been appointed as a Specialist Skills Consultant for England, stepping in as a short-term replacement for James Anderson in the national coaching set-up across formats. The 36-year-old, who retired from Test cricket after England’s 2-1 series win in New Zealand last December, will join the squad ahead of the first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on May 22. Southee's appointment reunites him with former teammate and captain Brendon McCullum, now England’s red-ball head coach, with whom he shares a long-standing professional relationship across 170 matches for New Zealand, including 78 under McCullum's leadership. The duo also shared dressing rooms at RCB in the IPL and Middlesex in the T20 Blast, reflecting a deep cricketing bond. Southee replaces Anderson in a like-for-like role, bringing a wealth of international experience—776 wickets across all formats over 16 years—to support England's evolving bowling unit. While Anderson focuses on a full county season with Lancashire after recovering from a calf injury, Southee will be part of the England staff through the Zimbabwe Test, the white-ball series against West Indies, and the five-Test home series against India. His stint will conclude after the final India Test at The Oval on August 4, following which he will resume playing in The Hundred for Birmingham Phoenix. The ECB praised his appointment, noting that his global experience and all-format knowledge will provide “valuable insight and knowledge” to England’s players during a busy and competitive summer.

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