New Zealand · Bowler

Tim Southee: Age, 391 Test Wickets, Retirement and Career

Tim Southee is a retired New Zealand international fast bowler and active franchise cricketer whose career combined new-ball swing, lower-order six-hitting and leadership. Born in Whangarei on 11 December 1988, he was 37 on 2 September 2026. Southee ended his international career in December 2024 with 776 wickets across all formats, including 391 in 107 Tests. He later worked with England as a specialist skills consultant, returned to Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and captained Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20.

By StumpScope Cricket Desk · Edited by StumpScope Editorial Team

Right-handedRight-arm medium-fast bowlerBorn 11 December 1988

Current squadSharjah WarriorzInternational League T20 · ILT20 Season 4; latest confirmed Sharjah Warriorz playing assignment reviewed 2 September 2026

Open team page →

Full nameTimothy Grant Southee

Age37As of 2 September 2026

Date of birth11 December 1988Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand

Batting styleRight-handed

Bowling styleRight-arm medium-fast

Career overview

Tim Southee cricket career

Born 11 December 1988 in Whangarei, New Zealand; age 37 on 2 September 2026.

Right-arm swing bowler who finished with 391 Test, 221 ODI and 164 T20I wickets.

New Zealand's leading men's international wicket-taker at retirement, with 776 wickets.

Player of the Tournament at the 2008 ICC Under-19 World Cup after taking 17 wickets.

Took 7/33 against England at the 2015 World Cup and won the 2021 World Test Championship.

Captained New Zealand in 14 Tests and later led Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20.

Career story

Tim Southee career and playing journey

Who is Tim Southee?

Tim Southee is one of New Zealand's most successful fast bowlers. He represented the Black Caps from 2008 to 2024, finished as the country's leading men's international wicket-taker and became the only player at his retirement to combine more than 300 Test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20I wickets.

His career was broader than those totals. Southee developed from a teenage swing bowler into a senior new-ball operator, Test captain and useful lower-order hitter. After leaving international cricket, he continued in franchise competitions and briefly joined England's men's teams as a specialist skills consultant.

Tim Southee's age, full name and birthplace

Timothy Grant Southee was born on 11 December 1988 in Whangarei, Northland. He was 37 years old on 2 September 2026.

New Zealand Cricket traces his early life to a farm in Waiotira and his cricket roots to Maungakaramea Cricket Club. That Northland pathway matters because it connects the school-age bowler, Northern Districts player and Black Caps international without confusing his birthplace with the later places where he lived or played.

What type of bowler was Tim Southee?

Southee bowled right-arm medium-fast and relied on late swing, seam position and changes of pace rather than raw speed alone. With the new ball he could move deliveries away from right-handed batters; when conditions flattened, he used cutters, wider lines and yorkers to change the scoring pattern.

The same method had to work in three very different environments. Tests rewarded sustained control and patience, ODIs required wicket-taking without losing the middle overs, and T20 cricket demanded rapid adjustment to the batter's stance and boundary options. His longevity came from adapting the method while preserving the outswinger that defined his early career.

Northland, Northern Districts and the route to New Zealand

Southee emerged through Northland cricket and represented Northern Districts before his international debut. His senior progress was unusually quick: he had only a small first-class sample when New Zealand selected him for Twenty20 internationals against England in February 2008.

That selection was not based on reputation alone. His age-group performances had already shown a repeatable new-ball skill, and the 2008 Under-19 World Cup provided a larger international stage. Within weeks of that tournament, he was playing a Test against England at Napier.

Why the 2008 Under-19 World Cup changed his career

Southee took 17 wickets in five matches at the 2008 ICC Under-19 World Cup, averaging 6.64 and conceding only 2.52 runs per over. The ICC named him Player of the Tournament even though New Zealand lost to India in the semi-final.

The award captured both impact and consistency. His best return was 5/11 against Zimbabwe, but the larger point was that he repeatedly challenged strong young batting line-ups. The tournament accelerated a path that already included senior T20Is and led directly into his Test debut.

A Test debut with five wickets and 77 not out

Southee made his Test debut against England at Napier in March 2008. He took five wickets in England's first innings and then struck 77 not out from 40 balls, hitting nine sixes in New Zealand's second innings.

The match introduced both sides of his Test identity. Swing bowling earned the selection, while clean lower-order hitting made him more than a conventional number ten. New Zealand lost the Test, so the individual performance should not be described as a match-winning debut, but it remains one of the clearest early signals of his range.

How Southee became a long-term Test new-ball bowler

Southee did not move from debut success to uninterrupted dominance. His control and selection fluctuated during the early years, but stronger fitness, a more stable action and a productive partnership with Trent Boult turned him into a regular Test new-ball bowler.

Boult's left-arm angle and Southee's right-arm outswing asked different questions from opposite ends. Neil Wagner later added short-ball pressure, while Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson expanded the pace group. Southee's role changed as those attacks evolved, yet his ability to expose an edge with the newer ball remained central.

The 7/33 that dismantled England in 2015

Southee took 7/33 from nine overs against England in Wellington at the 2015 World Cup. England were dismissed for 123, and New Zealand completed an eight-wicket win in only 12.2 overs.

The spell remains one of the best in men's World Cup history and Southee's best ODI return. It was not simply a burst against the tail: he bowled Ian Bell and Moeen Ali early, then removed Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn as the innings collapsed. Swing, a full length and relentless stump pressure did the damage.

New Zealand's run to the 2015 World Cup final

The Wellington performance became the signature individual moment of Southee's 2015 tournament, while New Zealand's wider campaign reached the men's World Cup final for the first time. The team won all six group matches, then beat West Indies and South Africa in the knockouts before losing to Australia at Melbourne.

Southee's value sat inside a balanced attack rather than a one-player story. Boult led the tournament's wicket chart alongside Mitchell Starc, and New Zealand used aggressive fields and attacking lengths. Southee's 7/33 showed how quickly that plan could decide a match when movement was available.

Reaching 300 Test wickets

Southee became the third New Zealand bowler to reach 300 Test wickets when Haris Sohail was caught at Mount Maunganui in December 2020. He joined Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori at the landmark.

New Zealand Cricket's milestone record shows the progression: Michael Vaughan was wicket number one in 2008, MS Dhoni number 50, Veerasammy Permaul number 100 and Shakib Al Hasan number 200. The spread across twelve years illustrates the durability needed to turn early promise into a national record.

Winning the 2021 World Test Championship

Southee was part of the New Zealand side that beat India by eight wickets in the inaugural World Test Championship final at Southampton in June 2021. He took five wickets in the match, including 4/48 in India's second innings.

Those wickets helped leave New Zealand a target of 139 on the reserve day. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor completed the chase, but the victory depended on a four-man pace attack maintaining pressure in difficult, rain-interrupted conditions. It was the major global title of Southee's Test career.

What did Tim Southee achieve as Test captain?

Southee captained New Zealand in 14 Tests after taking over from Kane Williamson in December 2022. His record was six wins, six defeats and two draws before he stepped down in October 2024 and Tom Latham became the full-time captain.

A fast bowler leading a Test side carries unusual workload decisions: the captain must judge his own spells while setting fields and managing the rest of the attack. Southee's tenure included notable results but also difficult series, and his decision to step aside was framed by New Zealand Cricket as a move made in the team's interests.

Tim Southee's final Test and international retirement

Southee played his 107th and final Test against England at Seddon Park in Hamilton in December 2024. New Zealand won by 423 runs, and his 2/34 in England's second innings took his final Test total to 391 wickets.

New Zealand's annual report treats the match as the end of his international career, not only his Test career. He finished with 394 international appearances and 776 wickets across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. The home-ground farewell also closed an 18-year Black Caps career that had begun against the same opponent.

Tim Southee's Test statistics

Southee finished with 391 wickets in 107 Tests at an average of 30.26. His best innings figures were 7/64, and he recorded 15 five-wicket hauls plus one ten-wicket match.

With the bat he scored 2,245 Test runs, made a highest score of 77 not out and hit 98 sixes. Those runs do not turn him into a Test all-rounder, but they explain why opponents could not assume the innings was over when he arrived. The six-hitting was a genuine tactical bonus attached to an elite bowling career.

Tim Southee's ODI statistics

Southee took 221 wickets in 161 one-day internationals at an average of 33.70. His 7/33 against England was his best return, and he collected three ODI five-wicket hauls.

He also scored 740 ODI runs, with a highest score of 55. The format record spans several eras of New Zealand white-ball cricket, from his 2008 debut through four men's ODI World Cups. It should be read separately from Tests because field restrictions, ball rules and over limits shaped a different bowling job.

Tim Southee's T20 international statistics

Southee took 164 wickets in 126 T20 internationals at an average of 22.38, with best figures of 5/18. He was the first bowler to reach 150 men's T20I wickets and finished his New Zealand career among the format's leading wicket-takers.

The number reflects longevity, but also changing tactics. Southee bowled in early T20Is before specialist powerplay and death roles were fully established, then adapted through seven T20 World Cups. His 2024 World Cup return of 3/4 against Uganda showed that wicket-taking threat remained late in his international career.

Why 776 international wickets is the defining total

Southee's 776 wickets are the most by a New Zealand men's bowler across international formats. The total combines 391 in Tests, 221 in ODIs and 164 in T20Is.

Adding the formats is useful for career scale, but it should not erase their differences. A Test wicket may come after a long spell with attacking fields, while a T20I wicket can result from a batter accepting greater risk. The most revealing achievement is that Southee crossed 300, 200 and 100 in the three formats respectively.

The Trent Boult partnership and attack balance

Southee and Trent Boult formed New Zealand's defining new-ball partnership of the 2010s and early 2020s. Southee's right-arm shape away from the bat complemented Boult's left-arm angle, giving opening batters little time to settle into one line of attack.

The partnership was strongest when New Zealand could rotate Wagner, Henry, Jamieson or an all-rounder around it. Southee did not produce every breakthrough, but his control often created pressure for the bowler at the other end. That shared method was central to New Zealand's rise to number one in Tests and the 2021 championship.

What happened after Southee retired from international cricket?

Retirement from New Zealand duty did not end Southee's professional cricket career. In May 2025, the ECB appointed him as a short-term specialist skills consultant for England's men's teams, covering the Zimbabwe Test and the home Test series against India.

The arrangement had a clear endpoint. The ECB said he would then resume playing duties for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. That sequence matters: coaching consultancy and active franchise selection overlapped, so describing him only as a retired player or only as a coach would miss his actual post-international career.

Birmingham Phoenix and The Hundred

Southee represented Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and was the team's leading wicket-taker in 2024. His official competition profile highlights a five-wicket match from that season.

The Hundred uses 100-ball innings and five- or ten-ball sets, so its figures should not be merged casually with standard T20 records. For Southee, the competition offered a role built around short spells, new-ball movement and tactical changes of pace—the same skills that had travelled across his international career.

Sharjah Warriorz captaincy in the ILT20

Sharjah Warriorz signed Southee as captain for ILT20 Season 3, and official league coverage continued to identify him as the side's skipper in later fixtures. The role extended his leadership career beyond New Zealand's Test team.

His first ILT20 campaign reached the playoff stage before Sharjah lost to Desert Vipers. Later league reporting records him leading the Warriorz and contributing with the ball, including 1/26 in a four-run defeat by MI Emirates. These are team- and match-specific facts, not evidence for an invented career aggregate.

Tim Southee's records and achievements

Southee's leading achievements are the 2008 Under-19 World Cup Player-of-the-Tournament award, 776 New Zealand international wickets, 391 Test wickets, 7/33 at the 2015 World Cup, the 2021 World Test Championship title and 14 Tests as captain.

The record also contains less obvious distinctions: 98 Test sixes, membership of four ODI World Cup and seven T20 World Cup squads, and the unique 300-Test, 200-ODI, 100-T20I wicket combination at retirement. Together they show a career built on both high peaks and exceptional duration.

Tim Southee's salary, contracts and net worth

No audited public record establishes Tim Southee's current net worth. Private assets, endorsements and franchise payments cannot be added reliably from unsourced biography sites, so this profile does not present a speculative wealth estimate.

His confirmed professional engagements include New Zealand central-contract years, franchise cricket and a short ECB consultancy, but the reviewed official announcements do not disclose a complete current salary. A contract or auction price from one competition would describe only that deal; it would not establish annual income or personal wealth.

Tim Southee's family and personal life

Southee is married to Brya Fahy. A 2020 New Zealand Herald interview described her as his fiancée and discussed his Northland upbringing, close friendship with Trent Boult and the demands of combining international cricket with family life.

Public interest in a player's family does not make every personal detail relevant. The useful biographical point is that Southee maintained a long international career while raising a family and travelling across formats. This page avoids assigning occupations, relationship claims or private financial details without strong published evidence.

Tim Southee records

Tim Southee career statistics and records

Batting, bowling and fielding figures are kept separate by competition and format.

Test career through December 2024107matches

Batting

Innings: 156
Runs: 2,245
High score: 77*
Average: 15.48
Strike rate: 83.57
Not outs: 11
100s / 50s: 0/6

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 203
Wickets: 391
Best bowling: 7/64
Average: 30.26
Economy: 3.02
Strike rate: 60.0
Balls: 23,490
Catches / stumpings: 86
5w / 10w: 15/1

ODI career through November 2023161matches

Batting

Innings: 91
Runs: 740
High score: 55
Average: 12.13
Strike rate: 97.23
Not outs: 30
100s / 50s: 0/1

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 157
Wickets: 221
Best bowling: 7/33
Average: 33.70
Economy: 5.53
Strike rate: 36.5
Balls: 8,075
Catches / stumpings: 44
5w / 10w: 3/0

T20I career through June 2024126matches

Batting

Innings: 52
Runs: 303
High score: 39
Average: 11.22
Strike rate: 141.58
Not outs: 25
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 123
Wickets: 164
Best bowling: 5/18
Average: 22.38
Economy: 8.00
Strike rate: 16.7
Balls: 2,753
Catches / stumpings: 65
5w / 10w: 2/0

First-class record through December 2024150matches

Batting

Runs: 3,079
High score: 156
Average: 16.03
100s / 50s: 1/9

Bowling & fielding

Wickets: 558
Best bowling: 8/27
Average: 27.83
Balls: 31,110
Catches / stumpings: 100
5w / 10w: 26/1

Only fields published by the named source are shown; unavailable values are not guessed.

Career chronology

Debut and last listed match

T20I

Debut

New Zealand v England, Auckland, 5 February 2008

Last listed match

New Zealand v Papua New Guinea, Tarouba, 17 June 2024

Test

Debut

New Zealand v England, Napier, 22 March 2008

Last listed match

New Zealand v England, Hamilton, 14-17 December 2024

ODI

Debut

New Zealand v England, Chester-le-Street, 15 June 2008

Last listed match

New Zealand v India, Mumbai, 15 November 2023

Test captaincy

Debut

Appointed December 2022

Last listed match

Stepped down October 2024 after 14 Tests

Post-international

Debut

ECB specialist skills consultant, May-July 2025

Last listed match

Birmingham Phoenix and Sharjah Warriorz franchise roles

Career achievements

Career achievements and milestones

New Zealand men's record holder with 776 international wickets at retirement.
Took 391 wickets in 107 Tests, including 15 five-wicket hauls.
Named Player of the Tournament at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.
Claimed 7/33 against England at the 2015 World Cup.
Won the inaugural World Test Championship with New Zealand in 2021.
Captained New Zealand in 14 Tests and Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20.
Hit 98 Test sixes and scored 2,245 Test runs.
Worked as England men's specialist skills consultant in 2025.

Reader questions

Tim Southee FAQ

How old is Tim Southee?

Tim Southee was born on 11 December 1988 and was 37 years old on 2 September 2026.

What is Tim Southee's full name?

His full name is Timothy Grant Southee.

How many Test wickets did Tim Southee take?

Southee took 391 wickets in 107 Tests at an average of 30.26.

How many international wickets did Tim Southee take?

He finished with 776 international wickets: 391 in Tests, 221 in ODIs and 164 in T20Is.

When did Tim Southee retire?

He played his final international match, the Hamilton Test against England, in December 2024.

What are Tim Southee's best ODI bowling figures?

His best ODI figures are 7/33 against England at the 2015 World Cup in Wellington.

Did Tim Southee captain New Zealand?

Yes. He captained New Zealand in 14 Tests, winning six, losing six and drawing two.

Did Tim Southee win the World Test Championship?

Yes. He took five wickets as New Zealand beat India in the 2021 final.

Which franchise teams did Tim Southee play for after retirement?

His confirmed post-international roles include Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20.

What is Tim Southee's net worth?

No audited public source reviewed for this profile establishes a dependable current net-worth figure.

Conclusion

Tim Southee's final numbers place him among New Zealand's great bowlers, but the route to 776 international wickets is the more revealing story. The teenage Under-19 award, five-wicket Test debut, 7/33 at a home World Cup, 300-wicket milestone and World Test Championship title each came at a different stage of an 18-year international career.

Retirement in Hamilton closed the Black Caps chapter with 391 Test wickets and a victory. It did not remove him from elite cricket: franchise roles and England's 2025 consultancy carried his swing-bowling knowledge into a new phase. The accurate current picture is a retired New Zealand international who continues to contribute as both a player and coach.