🔗 Share this article

England's bowling consultant Southee is still working through the extent of his role will be during the upcoming Ashes series in Australia.

The ex- Kiwi seamer is only likely to be available for the first Test due to his involvement in the International League T20 competition, which begins on 2 December in the UAE.

The 36-year-old, aged 36, assumed a position as England's fast bowling consultant in the summer after taking 391 wickets in 107 Tests for the Kiwis.

Commenting as the English squad for the first of three T20 matches against the Kiwis was named, he stated of his participation: "We're still working through that at the moment.

"We'll see the outcome over the next little while."

English pace icon Broad had stated the Australian team as their "worst team since 2010", but the consultant was in little doubt over the anticipated challenge during the contest, which starts on 21 November.

"In my view there's at any time a poor Australian cricket team," he said.

"The team's attention is squarely on our own objectives. I think the quality of [the English] team that's heading out to Australia is brilliant.

"It should be an absolute cracker, the Ashes. Not just [are|do] fans from both nations eagerly anticipate it, I think the whole cricket world is."

But, prior to England travel to the city of Perth for the first Ashes match, they face New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.

England's Playing XI v the Kiwis:

• Salt

• Jos Buttler

• Jacob Bethell

• Harry Brook (c)

• Banton

• Sam Curran

• Jordan Cox

• Carse

• Dawson

• Adil Rashid

• Wood