Kirsten teams up with England Lions

Gary Kirsten, the former South Africa and India coach, will work with the England Lions squad this winter in a consultancy role.

Kirsten will join the Lions ahead of a 50-over series against Pakistan A in January, part a coaching group that also includes Worcestershire's director of cricket Steve Rhodes, who will join the Lions as assistant coach, and Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand spinner, who will be present at the first phase of the winter when he takes part in a specialist batting and spin training camp in Dubai later this month.

Once described by MS Dhoni, India's captain, as "the best thing that ever happened to Indian cricket," Kirsten did not renew his contract after India won the 2011 World Cup, stating that he needed to commit more time to his family.

A few months later, he accepted the role of South Africa coach and took them to No. 1 in the Test rankings before again stepping down for family reasons. Last year after the sacking of Peter Moores, he distanced himself as a candidate for the England role that eventually went to Trevor Bayliss.

Andy Flower, the ECB's technical director, said: "One of the primary objectives of the England Performance Programme and the England Lions touring schedule is to provide the players with experiences and opportunities that go above what they would get in domestic cricket. Being able to call on the likes of Gary Kirsten and Daniel Vettori, to support the delivery of the programme and work with the players, represents a big part of this objective."

The EPP winter training schedule began this week with the full squad assembling at the national performance centre in Loughborough for a four-day camp before they split into two groups for the batting and spin camp in Dubai and a fast bowling camp in South Africa.

The two groups then come together in Dubai later in the month, before the England Lions face Pakistan A in a five-match T20 series in the UAE in December. Another Lions squad, which has still to be named, will then face Pakistan A in a five-match one-day series in January 2016.

Batting and spin camp (Dubai, Nov 11 - Dec 1): Zafar Ansari (Surrey, depending on fitness), Danny Briggs (Sussex), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dawid Malan (Middx), Stephen Parry (Lancs), Tom Westley (Essex), Ross Whiteley (Worcs), James Vince (Hampshire).

Fast bowlers camp (Potchefstroom Nov 11-23; Dubai Nov 24 - Dec 1): Jake Ball (Notts), Tom Curran (Surrey), Mark Footitt (Surrey), Craig Miles (Gloucs), Tymal Mills (Sussex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Somerset).