England's specialist skills advisor, Tim Southee, is likely to depart the team halfway Ashes 2025-26. The ex-New Zealand paceman, who was added to England's management staff earlier this year, will play for the Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 (ILT20). His departure will be after the first Test, with Andrew Flintoff likely to fill the role. The Ashes, starting November 21 in Perth, is going to be England's largest Test series. With a hard India series earlier in the year, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are going to be under huge pressure to produce results in their favour. Southee's loss is going to be a huge disappointment, as he had played an important role in assisting England's bowling unit in the summer. Southee, retired from international cricket for New Zealand at 36, remains active with global franchise leagues. The ECB has his contract on a day-rate, as was the case with James Anderson's stint as bowling coach prior to his. This gives the former flexibility but renders England exposed to losing him when franchise tournaments conflict. Also Read | Don Bradman’s 'Baggy Green' Cap Could Fetch Rs 2.2 Crore In the meantime, the ILT20 gets underway on December 4, directly conflicting with the Ashes fixture list, which means that Southee is free to stay for the first Test before leaving for the UAE. But the Three Lions will be relieved to have Andrew Flintoff as the front runner to replace Southee. The ex-all-rounder has already been involved with the England Lions and is at present the coach of Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. He will also be with the Ashes in Australia during the Lions tour. Another name on the table is James Anderson, who took over soon after his international retirement in 2024. Though Anderson has concentrated on Lancashire and The Hundred, he is a useful asset with his presence. The ECB may look at other big-ticket names such as Shane Bond or David Saker, as per reports.