Tim Southee

Tim Southee is an international New Zealand cricketer, born in Northland, on 11th December 1988. He plays all forms of the game and is primarily a right-arm fast-medium bowler, whose hard-hitting ability lower down the order has put everyone on notice on several occasions.

The current vice-captain of the New Zealand team, Southee entered the international arena at the age of 19, making him one of New Zealand's youngest cricketers.

Tim Southee: Along the Years

Tim Southee Records

• In Tests, his highest score is a hard-hitting 77 against England at Napier in 2008. His 7-64 against Indian at Bengaluru in 2012 remains his best Test figures yet, but even that wasn’t enough to win New Zealand that particular game.

• Southee’s magnum opus in ODIs came at the WestPac Stadium in Wellington in the 2015 World Cup against England, as his spell of 7-33 shot the English out for a measly total that New Zealand powered themselves to.

• Third New Zealand bowler to take 300 Test wickets

• One of the country's youngest cricketers, debuting at the age of 19 in February 2008

• Third-highest wicket-taker at the 2011 ICC World Cup (18 wickets at 17.33)

• At the 2015 ICC World Cup, he took 7 wickets in a round robin league match against England. This performance was named Wisden's ODI spell of the decade

• Aged only 19 years and 102 days, he was New Zealand's seventh-youngest test debutant

• Southee hit New Zealand's fastest half-century in 29 balls in Test cricket

• In August 2019, Southee equaled the tally of sixes by the legend Sachin Tendulkar in test cricket with 69 sixes

• 20 five-wicket hauls in international cricket.

Tim Southee Awards and Accolades

• Part of the New Zealand squads to finish as runners-up in two Cricket World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019.

• Member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship

Tim Southee Career

Timothy Grant Southee, born on 11 December 1988, is a New Zealand international cricketer who captains the New Zealand cricket team across all formats. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a powerful lower-order batsman. He was among the youngest cricketers in New Zealand, having made his debut in February 2008 at the age of 19, and he was the third bowler to reach 300 Test wickets. He represents Northland in the Hawke Cup and Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield, Ford Trophy, and Super Smash tournaments.

Southee has the highest (international) test batting strike rate among the batsmen with a minimum of 2000 test runs. His batting career strike rate is 83.12. He was also a member of the New Zealand teams that finished as runners-up in the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cup finals.

Southee is recognized for his ability to create late outswing at a rapid tempo, followed by off cutting slower balls that seem like a faster off-spinner on a moist pitch and death bowling. With 18 wickets, he was the third-highest wicket-taker at the 2011 ICC World Cup. In a league encounter against England during the group stages, he grabbed seven wickets, demonstrating his impressive skills at the 2015 ICC World Cup.

Tim Southee Domestic Career

He has been a part of Northern Districts since the beginning of his career. In 2011, he played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. In the same year, he also played in the English T20 competition for Essex. Southee has also featured in T20 cricket for Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Middlesex.

Tim Southee IPL Career

In 2011, he made his IPL debut with the Chennai Super Kings. In 2014 and 2015, he was a member of the Rajasthan Royals. In 2016 and 2017, Southee made appearances for the Mumbai Indians, and in 2018 and 2019, for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Southee has been a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2021. In 2023, the team paid INR 1.50 crores to reclaim his services in an auction.

Tim Southee International Career

On 30th of January 2008, Southee was named in the New Zealand squad for two Twenty20 international games against England. In the first game, he ended up with figures of 1/38. In the second match, Southee was New Zealand's best bowler with figures of 2/22 from four overs.

At the end of the 2007-08 season, Southee became the country's most promising cricketer and in April he was awarded one of New Zealand Cricket's central contracts.

He was selected for his first full international tour, to England, Ireland and Scotland from May to July 2008. On this tour, he played a single Test at Lord's and seven one-day internationals.

Being the youngest player to ever feature for New Zealand, Southee started his international career at a young age. He is now a consistent player for the national team in test matches, Twenty20 matches, and One-day internationals. On February 5, 2008, in Auckland, Southee made his debut for New Zealand, two years to the day after he had played his first under-19 cricket match for New Zealand. He took 1/38. In the second match, Southee was New Zealand's best bowler with figures of 2/22 from four overs.

Southee made his international debut for New Zealand in all formats of the game in 2008.

Tim Southee ODI Career

Southee made his international debut for New Zealand in all formats of the game in 2008.

In the 2008–09 summer, Southee faced off against more seasoned bowlers like Ian Butler and Iain O'Brien to secure a spot in the New Zealand squad. New Zealand travelled to Australia in February 2009 for a solitary Twenty20 match as well as a five-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI series.

Despite playing every one-day match, Southee only claimed three wickets at an average of 84.33. Australia was able to keep the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy when the series ended in a 2-2 tie. Southee took 1/31 in the Twenty20 match, which Australia won by 1 run. After hosting India for two Twenty20s, five ODIs, three tests, and five ODIs, New Zealand wrapped off the summer.

Southee had the third-most wickets during the 2011 World Cup, which Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka hosted. Having ended with 18 wickets at 17.33 (Shahid Afridi and Zaheer Khan shared the top wicket-takers position), he was recognized by the ICC as the 12th player and only New Zealander in the "team of the tournament". In seven of New Zealand's eight matches, he started at first slip and in the other, as the first substitute. During the competition, New Zealand bowled with 12 players, although only Nathan McCullum and Southee bowled in every game. Defeated in the semi-finals, New Zealand was eliminated from the competition. The ICC selected him as the 12th man in the 2011 World Cup "Team of the Tournament."

He was selected by the ICC for the World Test XI in 2014 based on his performance. Against England in the 2015 Cricket World Cup group stage in Wellington, he bowled his career best of 7/33 as the Black Caps defeated them by 8 wickets, Southee being named Man of the Match.

Tim Southee Test Career

When Southee came home as a player of the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, England was still touring New Zealand. The three-match test was ready to start, but the one-day series was concluded. On March 22, 2008, Southee made his Test match debut after being joined to the team following Kyle Mills' injury-related withdrawal from the third Test match in Napier. At just 19 years and 102 days old, he was the seventh-youngest test debutant from New Zealand.

On the first day, he made an instant impression by getting rid of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss in his second and third overs, respectively, and then taking Kevin Pietersen's wicket. He finished with 5–55 on the second day after taking two more wickets to secure his first five-wicket haul. As New Zealand pursued 553 in the second innings, Southee achieved the team's fastest half-century in 29 balls. He hit nine sixes and four fours throughout his innings, which concluded at 77* from just forty balls.

In May 2013, Southee led New Zealand to two further test matches in England, taking a career best 10 wickets in the first test at Lord's and a career best 11 wickets in the second test at Headingley. He continued to establish himself as one of the best new ball bowlers in the world, leading New Zealand to a test series victory over an Indian side with 11 wickets in a series of consistent performances.

In the 2015 Cricket World Cup group match in Wellington, Southee took his career best bowling figures of 7/33 against England, winning by 8 wickets and being named Man of the Match. In May 2018, he was one of twenty players awarded a new contract for the 2018–19 season by New Zealand Cricket.

Southee was selected to play for the Vancouver Knights in the players' draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament in June 2018. In August 2019, Southee became the fourth bowler for New Zealand to take 250 wickets in Test cricket, equaling the tally of sixes by Sachin Tendulkar in test cricket with 69 sixes.

In December 2022, Southee was named the full-time Black Caps Test captain, leading New Zealand to a 0-0 draw against Pakistan. In their first Test series at home following his appointment, the Black Caps split the honours with England in a two-Test series. On 28 February 2023, New Zealand won against England by a single run, becoming just the second team after the West Indies to win a Test match by this margin and the fourth team to win after following-on.

Tim Southee T20I Career

Southee was included in the New Zealand team for their two Twenty20 International matches against England on January 30, 2008. On February 5, 2008, in Auckland, Southee made his debut for New Zealand, two years to the day after he had played his first under-19 cricket match for New Zealand. He took 1/38. With stats of 2/22 from four overs, Southee was New Zealand's top bowler in the second match.

In 2010, New Zealand's northern tours, which were geared toward the 2011 World Cup, were centred around short forms of cricket. During the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies, the squad participated in five matches and it also played a historic two-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in the United States, four One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in a Tri-Series with India and Sri Lanka, a five-ODI series in Bangladesh and finally, five ODIs and three tests in India. The tour to India lasted until December of 2010.

Southee participated in the first three of New Zealand's five games in the 2010 edition, taking one wicket in each, ten months after losing out on selection for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, but his form declined. At the "Super 8" stage, New Zealand was eliminated.

As the 2011 ICC World Cup got underway in February, New Zealand was the host of just one summer tour. Pakistan was in town for two tests, six ODIs, and three Twenty20s. Southee participated in every match except for one ODI, missing none. In addition to becoming the second player from New Zealand to claim a hat-trick in a Twenty20 match, he also claimed his first five-wicket haul in an ODI.

Southee was included in the New Zealand team that was announced in August 2021 for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

During India's November 2022 tour of New Zealand, Southee recorded his second T20I hat-trick and joined legendary Sri Lankan spinner Lasith Malinga in an exclusive group of T20I bowlers who have achieved multiple hat-tricks in the shortest version of the game.

In May 2024, he was named in New Zealand’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.

Tim Southee Captaincy

For the first Twenty20 International against the West Indies, Southee had been chosen as stand-in captain. He made his debut as a T20I captain on December 29, 2017. The game was won by New Zealand under his captaincy. With Kane Williamson missing due to injury, Southee captained New Zealand once more in the first Twenty20 International against Pakistan. It was won by New Zealand by seven wickets.

For the home ODI series against England, Southee was chosen as captain when regular captain Kane Williamson was left off the team due to injury. Southee made his ODI captaincy debut for New Zealand on February 28th against England. He was selected as New Zealand's vice-captain for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in April 2019.

He was selected as New Zealand's stand-in T20I captain in August 2019 against Sri Lanka since regular skipper Kane Williamson was taking a break. Due to a hip injury, Kane Williamson was forced to miss the T20I series against England in October 2019. Southee was selected as the new captain.

Following Kane Williamson's resignation as Black Caps Test captain in December 2022, Southee was named the team's permanent captain. He would lead New Zealand to a 0-0 tie with Pakistan in his maiden series as captain. Following his promotion, the Black Caps would share the spoils in a two-Test series with England, which was New Zealand's first home Test series. After losing the first Test match, New Zealand defeated England on February 28, 2023, by a score of just one run.

After losing the first Test match, New Zealand defeated England on February 28, 2023, by a score of just one run, despite having been requested to follow-on earlier. They became the fourth team to win after following-on and just the second side, after the West Indies, to win a Test match by this margin.

Tim Southee Under-19 Career

While at school, Southee excelled at both cricket and rugby. Southee was 17 years old when he debuted in the 2006 ICC Under-19 World Cup against Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His Under-19 career included 13 one-day matches, 10 of those coming in the ICC Under-19 World Cups.

He made his first class debut for Northern Districts on 19 February 2007 at the age of 18.

From 2006 to 2009, Southee represented New Zealand in under-19 cricket. His under-19 career consisted of three drawn Youth Test series against India in early 2007 and thirteen one-day matches, ten of which were in ICC Under-19 World Cups. At the 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, he made his final appearance as a young player and won player of the tournament.

On February 5, 2006, Southee made his debut in the 2006 ICC Under-19 World Cup against Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the age of 17. In the tournament, he also competed against Nepal, Pakistan, Ireland, and the United States. He finished with 113 runs at 22.6 and 5 wickets at an average of 38.8. Nepal defeated New Zealand in the Plate Final.

When India was hosted by New Zealand in 2007, Southee participated in just three Youth Test matches. He took 6–36 and 6–56 in the second series match, which was won by New Zealand. At an average of 18.2, he claimed 20 wickets in the series that ended in a tie.

Southee had previously participated in two complete Twenty20 international matches for New Zealand by the time he made his appearance in his second ICC Under-19 World Cup, held in Malaysia in 2008. He was chosen the player of the event thanks to his bowling. After taking 5/11 against Zimbabwe in New Zealand's opening match, he went on to claim 17 wickets at an average of only 6.64 and a cost of just 2.52 runs per over in five more matches. Despite playing one more match, Wayne Parnell of South Africa was the only player with more wickets.

Despite playing one more match, only Wayne Parnell of South Africa claimed more wickets. In the rain-affected encounter that resulted in New Zealand's semi final defeat to eventual victors India, Southee made his final appearance for the under-19 team, taking 4/29. In less than a month, Southee participated in his first test match. Along with future internationals Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Corey Anderson, Hamish Rutherford, and Hamish Bennett, he was a member of several junior squads.

Being among the youngest players to play for New Zealand, Southee had an early international career. In Twenty20, one-day internationals, and test matches, he has established himself as a consistent member of the national team.

Tim Southee Family

Tim Southee's mother is Joanne Southee, and his father is Murray Southee. He is married to Bria Fahey. Bria works as a makeup artist at a New Zealand-based beauty store. The couple have two daughters.

Tim Southee Cars

As per the reports by Times Now, Tim Southee's notable collection of cars includes a Tim Southee owns a luxurious Jaguar F-Pace SVR which is the performance version of the SUV with a supercharged V8.