Former New Zealand legend joins Brendon McCullum in England coaching setup

Former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is set to reunite with his former captain, Brendon McCullum, as he joins England's coaching staff ahead of their first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge next week.

The 36-year-old has been confirmed on a short-term deal as a like-for-like replacement for James Anderson across all formats.

The 36-year-old announced his retirement from Test cricket following England's 2-1 series win in New Zealand last December. 

Over a distinguished 16-year career, he claimed a national-record 776 wickets across all international formats.

During his playing days, Southee featured alongside McCullum on 170 occasions, including 78 matches under his captaincy. 

The pair also shared stints with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Middlesex in the T20 Blast. 

In a touching gesture, McCullum presented Southee with a bottle of red wine signed by the England team following his 107th and final Test in Hamilton.

The right-arm pacer will serve as a "Specialist Skills Consultant" — effectively filling the role previously held by Anderson, who transitioned to the coaching staff after concluding his own illustrious 21-year Test career at Lord’s last July.

Anderson, however, will focus on a season-long deal with Lancashire this summer and is expected to make his first appearance of the season later this month after recovering from a calf injury.

Southee's coaching stint with England includes the one-off Test against Zimbabwe starting May 22, a white-ball series against West Indies, and the five-match Test series against India scheduled for June and July. 

His tenure will conclude following the final Test at The Oval on August 4, after which he will resume his playing duties with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

In an official press release, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed their enthusiasm over Tim Southee's appointment, highlighting the wealth of experience and strategic depth he brings to the setup.

"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," the ECB said in a statement.