Southee joins England men's teams as specialist skills consultant on short-term basis

Southee, 36, concluded his Test career in December 2024 as New Zealand's all-time leading wicket-taker with 776 scalps across all three formats. He will now support England's bowlers through to the conclusion of the five-Test series against India before playing for the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, which begins four days after the end of the final Test against India at The Oval.

"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," said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in a statement on Thursday.

The ECB added that Southee will link up with the squad ahead of England's opening fixture of the international summer - the four-day Test match against Zimbabwe - which gets underway at Trent Bridge on May 22.

Southee's appointment in the England men's backroom staff also means that he reunites with his good friend and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who is the side's current head coach.

In his Test career, Southee picked 391 wickets in 107 games, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand after Sir Richard Hadlee's 431 scalps. He also picked 221 wickets in 161 ODIs and took 164 wickets in 126 T20Is, and was also a member of the New Zealand team winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.

After England play the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May, the Ben Stokes-led side will be engaged in a crucial five-match series against India, starting on June 20 in Headingley, before further games happen in Edgbaston (July 2-6), Lord's (July 10-14), Old Trafford (July 23-27) and The Oval (July 31 to August 4).