New Zealand add Ian Bell and James Foster to coaching staff for England series

Bell will be the Blackcaps' assistant coach for the T20I series and then batting coach for the ODIs, with Foster stepping in as assistant for the 50-over matches and into the World Cup

Ian Bell and James Foster have joined New Zealand's coaching staff for their white-ball series against England.

Bell, the former England batter, will be Gary Stead's assistant through the four T20I matches before stepping into a batting-coach role for the subsequent ODIs.

Ex-England wicketkeeper Foster will then take over as Stead's assistant, carrying that role into the World Cup in India.

"We're delighted with the calibre of coaches we've been able to confirm to assist the Black Caps on the various tours," said New Zealand manager Simon Insley.

"New voices don't just freshen things up for the players, they also bring new ideas and energy to the whole group, which is especially important on away tours.

^{James Foster has developed an excellent reputation on the franchise circuit (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)}

"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."

Foster is currently Northern Superchargers' head coach in The Hundred, while Bell is Birmingham Phoenix's assistant coach. Bell is also on the staff at Derbyshire, and has worked with England's pathway teams.

Foster, meanwhile, has built up his coaching CV across the franchise circuit in the Pakistan Super League, Indian Premier League, ILT20, Abu Dhabi T10, Bangladesh Premier League and Caribbean Premier League. He has also worked as a fielding coach with England and as a wicketkeeping coach in county cricket.

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