New Zealand legend, Tim Southee, announced his retirement from international cricket in December 2024 after the conclusion of the England series at home.
However, only months after retiring from all forms of international cricket, he is about to be back in cricket action, but this time as a backroom staff.
England is all set to play a five-Test match series against a young Indian side, which starts from June 20 and will be played through the summer. Ahead of a busy summer, the England and Wales Cricket announced arrival of the Black Caps as a part of their coaching setup.
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ECB have appoint Southee for a specialist role for the English summer, below are the full details of the appointment.
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Tim Southee to join England as a specialist skills consultant:
Southee will be supporting England across formats from the solitary Test against Zimbabwe at Nottingham from May 22 and will be with the squad for the rest of the summer.
The 36-year-old shall resume his playing duties in The Hundred for the Birmingham Phoenix after his stint.
"Southee, 36, who retired from international cricket in December as New Zealand’s all-time leading wicket-taker, will support England’s squads across all formats through to the conclusion of the Rothesay Test series against India. With his vast experience of playing in a wide range of conditions around the world and across all formats, he brings valuable insight and knowledge to the players," the press release read.
"Southee will link up with the squad ahead of England’s opening fixture of the international summer – the Rothesay Test against Zimbabwe – which gets underway at Trent Bridge next Thursday," the ECB further wrote.
How did Tim Southee perform in Tests?
In the career that spanned from 2008 to 2024, the speedster retired from Test cricket as New Zealand's second-highest wicket-taker with 391 scalps in 107 Tests.
He also scored 2,245 runs in the format with the help of 98 sixes and sits 4th in the list of the most Test sixes.