Dimitri Mascarenhas to Mentor New Zealand Bowlers for England Tour

Former England one-day specialist Dimitri Mascarenhas has been appointed the New Zealand bowling coach for their upcoming tour of England.

The 37-year-old, who played 20 ODIs, replaces Shane Bond who leaves the New Zealand coaching panel at the end of the World Cup to take up a role with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

Mascarenhas, currently coaching the Otago Volts in the New Zealand domestic competition, believed his knowledge of pitches and players in England would be a valuable asset for New Zealand.

"I am newly out of the scene there as a player and I know most of the guys in the current team very well ... and I know all the grounds we are playing at intimately so those factors will be useful in terms of the scouting and bowling plans," he said.

New Zealand head to England in late May to play two Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 with Mascarenhas taking over a bowling unit spearheaded by Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both top-10 ranked Test bowlers and two of the leading World Cup wicket takers.

"Bondy (Shane Bond) has done an extremely good job with his bowling unit; they have operated with real pace, skill and tactical awareness.

"During this World Cup they have been phenomenal and I am looking forward to working with those guys to keep developing them and helping them achieve success on the international stage."

Mascarenhas, who played the last of his 20 ODIs in 2009, took 13 wickets at 48.76 and averaged 22.27 with the bat.

New Zealand Cricket said a long-term decision on a new bowling coach would be made before the side leaves to tour Zimbabwe and South Africa in late July.