England bowling consultant Tim Southee says he is still uncertain about his participation in the upcoming Ashes series in Australia.
The former New Zealand skipper, who joined England’s coaching setup earlier this year, is expected to be available only for the opening Test due to his commitment to the International League T20, which begins on 2 December in the UAE.
Southee, 36, has played 107 Tests for New Zealand and taken 391 wickets. He was appointed as England’s fast-bowling consultant during the English summer.
“We’re still working through the plans right now,” Southee said when asked about his Ashes involvement. “We’ll see how things shape up in the coming weeks.”
No weak Australian side
England great Stuart Broad recently described the current Australian team as their “weakest since 2010,” but Southee dismissed the idea of any side from Australia being easy to beat.
“I don’t think there’s ever such a thing as a bad Australian team,” Southee said. “Our focus is purely on what we can do. The squad that England are sending is full of quality, and it should be a brilliant contest.”
The five-match Ashes series begins on 21 November in Perth, but before that, England will face New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday in the first of three T20 internationals.
England XI vs New Zealand:
Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Jordan Cox, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.
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