Despite recent scrutiny following a 4-1 Ashes defeat, England head coach Brendon McCullum remains unfazed, according to fast bowling consultant Tim Southee.
Southee, a long-time friend and former teammate, insists McCullum is showing no signs of pressure, even as England secured a T20 World Cup semi-final spot with a match to spare.
Southee, who played alongside McCullum 170 times for New Zealand and joined England’s backroom staff last May, affirmed his former captain’s unwavering focus.
“Baz is just Baz,” Southee said. “I have known him, played a lot with him and get on with him very well. But one thing with Brendon is he is the most consistent guy I have ever come across.”
He added: “Nothing really changes from him. He believes in what he believes in. He’s been very consistent with his behaviours and it’s been no different here. He just wants guys to do well, he wants the team to do well and that hasn’t changed since he was a player and now as a coach.”
Southee himself faced questions earlier this year when a schedule conflict prevented him from fulfilling his England brief after the first Ashes Test.
He departed for a T20 playing commitment in the United Arab Emirates, a move necessitated by the ILT20’s adjusted dates.
The tournament, typically held in mid-January, was brought forward to early December last year to avoid clashing with the T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on his absence from the Ashes, the 37-year-old expressed regret. “It was disappointing, I’d have loved to have been part of all five (Tests),” Southee stated.
“Being a Kiwi kid, having the opportunity to work with the England side during an Ashes series was awesome. It’s just a shame that the dates were changed for fulfilling a two-year contract with the ILT20.”
England are now poised to seal top spot in their Super 8 group if they can follow up recent victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan by beating New Zealand at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
Southee, who played 394 times for New Zealand across all formats, admitted that being in the England dressing room for that particular fixture will feel “a little bit strange.”
However, he has relished his time working with Jofra Archer, whose return from a side strain has seen him steadily improve throughout the tournament.
Archer began with combined figures of two for 80 in eight overs against Nepal and the West Indies, but has since delivered 15-0-111-8 in four subsequent games. His pace, consistently exceeding 90mph, has troubled several batters, leading Southee to believe Archer is peaking at the opportune moment.
“The good sign is that we’ve seen over the last few games he looks like he’s getting better and better so that bodes well for the next few games,” Southee observed.
“He’s obviously a class bowler. He can bowl fast, move the ball and he has an unbelievable amount of skill. Sometimes (you can have) almost too much skill and it’s just about trying to narrow down what’s effective at the time.
“It’s been brilliant to see how he goes about his stuff. He absolutely loves cricket, loves bowling, so it’s been great to work alongside such a great bowler.”
