London | Former New Zealand pacer Tim Southee was on Thursday appointed as England's Specialist Skills Consultant till the conclusion of the five-match Test series against India, the ECB announced on Thursday.

India will start their tour of England with the first Test at Leeds on June 20, and the tour will conclude with the July 31-August 4 fifth Test at the Oval.

Southee had retired from international cricket in December, 2024, as New Zealand's all-time leading wicket-taker.

The Kiwi will link up with the squad ahead of England's opening fixture of the international season, a one-off Test against Zimbabwe that gets underway at Trent Bridge next Thursday.

"With his vast experience of playing in a wide range of conditions around the world and across all formats, he brings valuable insight and knowledge to the players.

"Following his consultancy stint, he will resume playing duties in The Hundred for Birmingham Phoenix," the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.

The 36-year-old Southee has bagged 391 wickets from 107 Tests, 221 wickets from 161 ODIs and 164 wickets from 126 T20Is