New Zealand hope for inside track as Shane Bond joins coaching group for T20 World Cup

Shane Bond will be part of New Zealand's coaching set-up for the T20 World Cup and T20 matches in India which follow the tournament.

Bond, a former bowling coach with the national side, will be in the UAE at the IPL with Mumbai Indians prior to the World Cup and New Zealand hope he will be able to provide valuable insight along with the group of players returning to their franchises.

"Shane's been in our environment before and understands what we're about," head coach Gary Stead said. "Being in the UAE immediately prior to the World Cup … he'll hopefully bring some tactical insight into what's been happening in the competition.

"He'll be an extra set of hands especially around the bowlers, working with the spin and the pace bowlers and developing their plans in a tournament that moves pretty quick - so we need to be one step ahead of other teams.

"Shane's been working away with New Zealand players for a long time and he's been involved in our recent camps so it's been good for him to reacquaint himself with our guys. He's held in high regard and I know he'll bring a lot of knowledge and opinions to the group."

Bond, who stepped down as Sydney Thunder coach in the BBL earlier this year, has been working with both the New Zealand men's and women's squads at their winter camps preparing for the upcoming tours.

He will join Stead, Shane Jurgensen and Luke Ronchi as the coaching staff for the World Cup and India T20s.

New Zealand were the first team to confirm their World Cup squad last week and will head into the tournament with tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan although will be without their IPL players for those series. Stead will also miss those two tours with Glenn Pocknall stepping in alongside assistants Graeme Aldridge and Thilan Samaraweera.