England will allow bowling coach Tim Southee to leave the Ashes tour after the first Test to play franchise cricket in the Middle East, potentially opening the door for Andrew Flintoff to take his place.
Southee made a strong impression on the England management when he worked with the Test team this summer and has been offered a role on the Ashes tour.
Advertisement
But he is contracted to the Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20 in the UAE, which recently announced it was bringing forward the start of its season to December 4 to avoid a clash with the T20 World Cup.
It means that Southee is only available for the first Ashes Test in Perth, which begins on November 21. The second Test in Brisbane, a pink-ball day-night match, starts on December 4 and England will need to draft in a new bowling coach to replace Southee.
Southee would earn far more from his franchise contract than working with England and, at the age of 36, this is one of his final opportunities to cash in on T20 cricket.
There remains a possibility he will decide to throw his lot in with England and build his coaching career but, at the moment, the management are looking at alternatives to take his place after the Perth Test.
Advertisement
Flintoff remains an intriguing choice. He is already a powerful figure in English cricket through his roles with the Lions. He will be in Australia with the Lions squad, who are shadowing the main touring party, and logistically could easily step in for Southee.
He also brings experience of captaining in an Ashes series Down Under and of bowling on Australian pitches.
Tim Southee (left) made a strong impression on England management as part of Brendon McCullum’s coaching staff during the summer – Getty Images/Stu Forster
It is also another sign of the relaxed, maverick approach of the Bazball set-up that they are happy to grant a coach time away to play franchise cricket during an Ashes tour that will have such a huge say in how their era is regarded.
Advertisement
The result is the bowlers will have to attune to a different voice and approach from a new coach after just one Test.
Rob Key, the England director, believes the coaching staff are there for tactical cricket knowledge and understanding the pressures of top-level Test cricket, rather than the technical aspects and mechanics of bowling.
Flintoff is a familiar figure around the England squad and knows many of the senior team well because the majority of the attack is young and played under him in the Lions, or worked with him on training camps overseas.
England have shown flexibility before. James Anderson was allowed to join the Pakistan tour last year halfway through the first Test in Multan so he could play golf in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Advertisement
Anderson, like Southee, was contracted on a day rate rather than a staff contract, giving England less control.
Former England bowler James Anderson is another option to replace Southee – Getty Images /Joe Prior
Southee was drafted in this summer shortly after his Test retirement by McCullum, his former New Zealand captain. He replaced Anderson, who decided to continue his playing career with Lancashire and in the Hundred rather than carry on coaching the England bowlers.
Anderson is also an alternative to Southee in Australia, but could also look to continue playing franchise cricket instead. England have used Shane Bond in the past and Australian David Saker, who was the bowling coach for the victorious 2010-11 series, returned to the set-up on the last tour.
Advertisement
At the moment England are planning for the bowlers to arrive in Perth a week ahead of the main squad, but the plan remains for the team to play just one intra-squad warm-up match before the first Test.
The Ashes squad will be named next month, most likely after the Ireland tour finishes on September 21.
Article courtesy of
Source link
