The Black Caps have bolstered their coaching ranks for their upcoming tours, with two former England internationals as well as Saqlain Mushtaq and Stephen Fleming all set to feature.
Along with Mushtag and Fleming, five-time Ashes winner Ian Bell and James Foster will also help the squad with the upcoming four months of touring.
Bell will join the Black Caps as assistant coach for the upcoming T20I series against England starting later this month before stepping into Luke Ronchi’s position as batting coach in September for the four-game ODI series and three ODIs in Bangladesh.
After that, Ronchi will return and relieve head coach Gary Stead who will have a short break ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Black Caps manager Simon Insley said the coaching additions were an effort to balance the workload of permanent staff while also taking the opportunity to introduce fresh voices to the squad.
“The wellbeing of our players and staff is of vital importance with the sheer amount of cricket being played these days,” Insley said.
“Following the T20 team’s departure to the UAE [earlier this month], the team will be on the road right through until December 16 when the Test team returns, ahead of a busy home summer.
“That period of time playing, working and simply being away from home is not sustainable and we’ve worked really hard this winter to ensure everyone, from players to staff, will receive adequate rest.”
The ODI series against England will also be when former Test keeper Foster and Fleming join as assistants, with Foster staying on in his role for the World Cup campaign. Both Foster and Fleming have previously worked with the Black Caps.
Fleming, a 50-year-old former Black Caps captain, has helped the side in an assistant's role previously.
Former Pakistan coach, Mushtaq, will fill the role of spin coach for the Bangladesh Test series in December, following his stint with the team on the white-ball tour of Pakistan in April.
Stead will miss the two-Test series in Bangladesh and will instead return home to New Zealand to prepare for the start of the home summer later that month December.
Ronchi will therefore again step into the head coach role in Bangladesh before the team finally returns to New Zealand.
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