WELLINGTON, Aug 23 (Agencies): New Zealand Cricket said Wednesday that former English internationals Ian Bell and James Foster will help coach the Black Caps on their white-ball tour of England which starts next week.
New Zealand performance manager Simon Insley said the England pair will boost the Kiwis' backroom staff.
"Ian Bell has had a broad range of experiences as batting coach since retiring," Insley said. "James Foster has worked with a number of our Black Caps through his extensive coaching history."
Bell retired from cricket in 2020 after 118 Tests for England. He was part of five Ashes-winning campaigns against Australia.
Bell will be New Zealand's assistant coach for their four Twenty20 matches in England, then switch to batting coach for the four-game one-day series against England next month and three ODIs in Bangladesh.
Bell will be joined in the New Zealand camp by ex-wicketkeeper Foster, who played seven Tests for England.
Foster will be Black Caps assistant coach for the England ODI series and the 50-overs World Cup in India, which starts this October.
Former New Zealand batting great Stephen Fleming will also boost the Black Caps staff for the England ODI series.
Insley said the backroom changes will spread the workload with two Tests also scheduled in Bangladesh following the World Cup.
"We're delighted with the calibre of coaches we've been able to confirm to assist the Black Caps," he added.
Meanwhile, head coach Gary Stead will take a short break during the Bangladesh ODIs just before the World Cup and will not be part of the Tests right after the mega event in order to prepare for New Zealand's home summer. In Stead's absence, Luke Ronchi will be the designated head coach.
"The well-being of our players and staff is of vital importance with the sheer amount of cricket being played these days," team manager Simon Insley said. "Following the T20 team's departure to the UAE (Aug 12), 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."
"We're delighted with the caliber of coaches we've been able to confirm to assist the Black Caps on the various tours. New voices don't just freshen things up for the players but they also bring new ideas and energy to the whole group which is especially important on away tours.
"Ian Bell has had a broad range of experiences as batting coach since retiring, working with Derbyshire, Hobart Hurricanes, England U19 and Lions as well as his current role with the Birmingham Phoenix. James Foster has worked with a number of our Black Caps through his extensive coaching history which has featured stints as Head Coach in the ILT20, CPL the PSL along with his current role with KKR in the IPL.
"We're looking forward to welcoming the new guys into our group and getting stuck into a busy and important period of cricket for the team."
