Shane Bond is head coach of New Zealand A, who leave for India this week, and is set to join England for the Ashes after that tour.

It's a photo finish as to which will occur first this week: Shane Bond's departure to India as New Zealand A cricket coach or his confirmation as England's fast bowling consultant for the Ashes.

One of New Zealand's best fast bowlers is poised to be announced as Ottis Gibson's temporary replacement on the England staff for the five-test series in Australia, starting in November.

A report in the Daily Mail by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack editor Lawrence Booth said England were set to confirm Bond in the job, after he was named as their preferred candidate last week.

The report said Bond would join the England squad for the first three tests only, enabling him to fulfil his contract as bowling coach for Brisbane Heat in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash competition which starts on December 19.

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Gibson has left to become South Africa's head coach and while the deadline for applicants for his job is not till the end of September, England are keen to snare Bond on a temporary basis before a permanent appointment is made.

It's a dream role for Bond but he's unlikely to want the bowling coach job fulltime, given his T20 deals with Brisbane and Mumbai Indians who won the Indian Premier League this year.

New Zealand Cricket has said it would not stand in the way of Bond joining England for the Ashes, where he'll try to plot the downfall of Australia's batsmen as he did in a successful but injury-plagued career.

His contract as New Zealand A head coach is for this India tour only. Under captain Henry Nicholls they depart on Tuesday and play two four-day matches and five one-day matches, finishing on October 15, as Bond resumes an official coaching role with NZC for the first time since he departed as Black Caps bowling coach after the 2015 World Cup.

England's first warmup match in Australia starts in Perth on November 4 and the first test is in Brisbane starting on November 23.