London, Feb 7 (IANS): Former Australia fast bowler and current Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie will join the England Lions coaching staff temporarily, spending 12 days with the red-ball squad during their upcoming tour of Australia that is scheduled to begin from February 8.

Gillespie, who took over 400 international wickets, and Jason Kerr, will join Lions' head coach Richard's Dawson's to prepare for three matches.

"I'm excited by the opportunity to work with Richard Dawson, his support staff and all the players," said Gillespie.

"It's a great chance to listen and learn from different people and I hope that I can add some value to the team from my own cricket experiences.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Performance Director Mo Bobat said: "This will be a great opportunity for our young pace bowlers to learn from one of the best in the business. Jason was not only a quality bowler, but is also an excellent coach with vast experience who will no doubt leave a lasting impression on the squad.

"Learning how to impact games with the ball in Australian conditions is a great challenge and having Jason on hand to help our players with this is of huge value. It will no doubt stand them in good stead for future Ashes success.

"I'm encouraging the whole squad and management team to make the most of Jason's time with us, to tap into his experience and local knowledge to improve themselves as players and coaches over the coming weeks," he added.

The Lions play three four-day games on their tour of Australia, starting with a match against Cricket Australia XI in Hobart, starting on February 15. They then take on Australia A in a pink-ball day/night match at the MCG before finishing the tour with a four-dayer against a New South Wales XI.