England assistant coaches line up gigs in the Hundred

Several England men's assistant coaches have lined up jobs in the Hundred in August, which takes place between the end of the Ashes and the start of the white-ball team's run-in to the 50-over World Cup.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Richard Dawson is set to work alongside Michael Hussey at Welsh Fire, while Carl Hopkinson is due to link up with James Foster's Northern Superchargers. The pair both act as assistants to Matthew Mott in England's white-ball set-up.

Paul Collingwood, who is an assistant coach to Brendon McCullum in the Test side, is also due to work in the competition. He will work at London Spirit, who are coached by the former England coach Trevor Bayliss.

England's white-ball team have not played since March and their next fixture is the first of four T20Is against New Zealand on August 30, leaving their coaching staff relatively short on work for the majority of the home summer.

Mott encouraged Dawson and Hopkinson to apply for roles in the Hundred, and said that their roles would benefit the England team. "They've both been around the county scene for a long time, and I think they'll do well at it in the Hundred," Mott told ESPNcricinfo. "It's a good opportunity for them.

"It's great that we've got eyes and ears in those camps, too - even just around some of the international players that are coming in. It's almost like having a couple of scouts out there, extra eyes and ears. There's only positives to come out of that."

Mott himself was due to coach Welsh Fire Women in the inaugural season of the Hundred but pulled out due to Covid-related travel restrictions, and said that it "wouldn't sit right" to be involved in the competition while working as England's head coach.

But he is open to working in franchise cricket at some stage during his tenure, most notably in the IPL - where he acted as Kolkata Knight Riders' assistant coach during the competition's early years. "I'd be open to it, but it'd have to fit into my schedule," he said.

The 2024 edition is off the table due to its proximity to the T20 World Cup but there is a window in England's white-ball schedule the following season, after the Champions Trophy. Mott added: "It's definitely a goal to get back there at some point, but I'm not in a rush at the moment."