11 Sep 2017

Bond to join England for Ashes campaign

4:38 pm on 11 September 2017

The former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond is set to join England's Ashes campaign against Australia.

The Telegraph is reporting Bond is England's No 1 target to fill their vacant bowling coaching role for the series which starts in Brisbane in November.

Bond has previously been the Black Caps bowling coach and will coach the coach New Zealand A on their short tour of India which starts next week.

RNZ understands Bond's appointment will be confirmed in the next couple of days.

Shane Bond (right) during his time at Black Caps bowling coach alongside Mike Hesson.

Shane Bond (right) during his time at Black Caps bowling coach alongside Mike Hesson. Photo: Photosport

Ottis Gibson left the England bowling coach role after their series win over West Indies and head coach Trevor Bayliss hinted they might look to fill the role temporarily before making a fulltime appointment after the Ashes.

Bond was the bowling coach with this year's champions Mumbai India in the Indian Premier League and has continued as a bowling consultant with New Zealand cricket preferring not to travel for long periods away from home.

In an injury plagued playing career Bond played only 18 tests between 2001 and 2009 but took 87 wickets.

He played 82 ODI matches taking 147 wickets - 44 of which were against Australia.

For the past couple of years Bond has also been the bowling coach at the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash T20 competition so knows Australian conditions well.

James Anderson now holds the English record for most Test wickets, overtaking Sir Ian Botham

James Anderson now holds the English record for most Test wickets, overtaking Sir Ian Botham Photo: Photosport

The Telegraph said a large part of Bond's role would be devising bowling plans to dismiss the Australian batsmen and making the most of the Kookaburra ball rather than specific technical coaching, something that should not be needed with a bowling group that includes the likes of veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad.