Brendon McCullum brings David Saker back to the England camp for the Ashes series

Brendon McCullum has completed his coaching squad for the Ashes, with Australian David Saker returning to help England in a fourth Test series against his home country, having been involved during the 2010-11 and 2013 series, both of which England won, and again in the 2023 drawn series.

Saker, whose official title is special skills consultant, will be in Australia from the arrival of the England Lions squad in early November and will remain with the senior team for all five Tests. Tim Southee, who has held the same title since May and is part of the white-ball squad in his native New Zealand, will remain with the team until the end of the first Test in Perth, after which he will leave to fulfill playing commitments at the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.

Another returning face is Gilbert Enoka, the former All Blacks mental skills coach, who was first included in the group in the build-up to the Test against India at Old Trafford in July. Enoka, who lives in Christchurch, is also working with the white-ball team – if only for the few days they are in his hometown – and will be involved in the first Ashes Test.

On Friday, Enoka hosted an hour-long session for the entire team and backroom staff as they finalized preparations for the T20 series against New Zealand starting on Saturday and looked ahead to February’s T20 World Cup. Harry Brook, who last month vowed he would “never have a meeting” as white-ball captain, reasoning it was “a waste of an hour – I’m not very good at sitting there and listening”, emerged to describe Enoka as “amazing”.

But Brook declined to reveal any of what was discussed. “It’s something we want to keep to ourselves,” he said. “He brings a lot of knowledge about the mental side of the game. To have him in the ranks, just to be able to chat for five to 10 minutes, is great.”

Longtime batting coach Marcus Trescothick and spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel, another New Zealander, will continue in their roles while assistant coach Paul Collingwood, who has not been involved with the team in recent months, will be absent again.

Saker, 59, worked as England’s fast bowling coach between 2010 and 2015, during which time they won the Ashes in Australia, successfully defended it at home and won a series in India for the first and only time since 1984-85. He then served in a similar role for Australia from 2016 to 2019 before returning to England in 2023, initially with the white-ball side. At the time he described the England Test squad as “the best team in the world to watch”. “I have been involved with both sides in Ashes,” he said, “and the cricket is as exciting as it can be.”

On Friday, Brook praised Southee’s contribution to the team. “He is a fountain of knowledge,” the 26-year-old said. “He’s played a lot of cricket here and a lot of international cricket, so having him working alongside us will only benefit us. To have guys who have so much experience, play all over the world and are as good as they are, we can only benefit from what they say.”