Southee Joins England Coaching Staff as Anderson’s Replacement

Former New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee is poised to reunite with his previous captain, Brendon McCullum, by joining England’s coaching group. This occurs prior to their initial Test match of the summer against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge next week.

The 36-year-old has formally accepted a brief contract to serve as a direct replacement for James Anderson in all formats of the game.

Southee, also 36, announced his departure from Test cricket following England’s 2-1 series victory in New Zealand this past December.

Throughout his impressive 16-year international career, he secured a national-record 776 wickets across every format.

During his time as a player, Southee and McCullum were on the same team for 170 games, with 78 of those occurring while McCullum was captain.

The pair also played together for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Middlesex in the T20 Blast.

As a thoughtful gesture, McCullum gave Southee a bottle of red wine with the England team’s signatures after his 107th and final Test in Hamilton.

The right-arm fast bowler will be a “Specialist Skills Consultant,” essentially taking over the position that Anderson had previously held. After a successful 21-year Test career, Anderson moved into coaching after retiring at Lord’s last July.

However, Anderson will be dedicating his time to Lancashire this summer under a season-long agreement. Following recovery from a calf injury, he is anticipated to make his season debut later this month.

Southee’s coaching responsibilities with England will include the one-off Test against Zimbabwe that begins on May 22, a white-ball series against the West Indies, and the five-match Test series against India, which is slated for June and July.

Following the final Test at The Oval on August 4, his tenure will be over. Following that, he will go back to playing for the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed their excitement over Tim Southee’s appointment in an official press release, emphasizing the abundance of expertise and tactical understanding he offers to the team.

The ECB stated that “with his extensive experience playing in a variety of environments around the world and in all formats, [Southee] provides valuable insight and knowledge to the players.”