England's Bowling Consultant Southee Uncertain on The Ashes Availability
The bowler's most recent Test match for New Zealand was against England in the final month of 2024.
England's bowling consultant Tim Southee is still working through the extent of his role will be at the forthcoming Ashes series in Australia.
The ex- New Zealand seamer is expected to be present for the first Test because of his involvement in the ILT20 competition, which starts on December 2 in the UAE.
Southee, 36, assumed a position as the English team's fast bowling consultant in the summer after taking 391 scalps in 107 Tests for New Zealand.
Commenting as England's team for the first of three Twenty20 games against New Zealand was named, he stated of his availability: "We are still evaluating the situation at the moment.
"We will determine the outcome over the next little while."
English pace icon Stuart Broad had stated the Australia side as their "worst team since 2010", but Southee was in little doubt over what to expect during the series, which begins on November 21.
"I don't think there's at any time a poor Australian cricket team," Southee said.
"The team's attention is squarely on what we're trying to do. I think the quality of [the English] side that's going out to the host country is brilliant.
"It should be an absolute cracker, that series. Not only [are|do] English and Australian people looking forward to it, I believe the whole cricket world is."
But, prior to the English team head to Perth for the first Ashes match, they face the Kiwis in Christchurch on Saturday.
England XI v the Kiwis:
Phil Salt
Jos Buttler
Bethell
Brook (captain)
Banton
Curran
Jordan Cox
Carse
Dawson
Adil Rashid
Wood
