Ian Bell, Stephen Fleming to be part of New Zealand’s coaching team

Former captain Stephen Fleming and Saqlain Mushtaq are among several others joining their coaching staff for the upcoming four months, each assuming distinct roles within the coaching team.

Christchurch: New Zealand enhanced its coaching roster in the lead-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup with former England internationals Ian Bell and James Foster set to join the set-up for the next four months, where the team will have a hectic schedule.

Former skipper Stephen Fleming and Saqlain Mushtaq are among others to their coaching staff for the next four months and will take up different roles in the coaching staff.

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Bell, a five-time Ashes winner who has been coaching since finishing his playing career in 2020, will join the BlackCaps as assistant coach for the upcoming T20I series against England starting later this month.

He will then step into Luke Ronchi’s position as batting coach for the four-game ODI series (September 8 – 15) and continue in the role for the three ODIs in Bangladesh (September 21 – 26).

Ronchi will grant head Coach Gary Stead a brief respite by stepping into his role during the Bangladesh tour by stepping in as head coach as preparation for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 takes full swing.

Former Test keeper, Foster, will join the team as assistant coach for the England ODI series and has also been confirmed in the role for the entire World Cup campaign in October and November.

Foster is currently an assistant coach at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, has coached in T20 leagues all around the world and previously assisted the New Zealand team in the UAE in 2018.

Additionally, the team will benefit from the return of Stephen Fleming for his second coaching stint, which will see him join the ODI series against England (September 8-15) after he has finished his duties with the Southern Brave men in The Hundred.

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.

Post the World Cup, Stead Gary Stead will miss the two Test series in Bangladesh (November 28 – 10 December) and will instead return home to New Zealand to prepare for the start of the home summer on December 16 while Ronchi will be the head coach on the Bangladesh Test tour.