Steve Harmison joins Durham as coaching mentor for remainder of season

The former Durham and England bowler will assist stand-in head coach Neil Killeen

Steve Harmison has returned to Durham as a coaching mentor for the remainder of the 2022 season.

The former Durham and England bowler, who took 744 first-class wickets, will assist stand-in head coach Neil Killeen for the next fortnight as well as acting as a player mentor.

Durham are currently playing Sussex in their final home match of the LV= Insurance County Championship before finishing their season off against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge next week.

The club has endured a tough season on the field, winning just two and drawing eight of their completed red-ball matches to see their hopes of promotion derailed. Alongside Nottinghamshire, they were among the favourites to return to Division One.

^{Harmison spent his entire career with Durham [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

With the white-ball, they failed to progress beyond the group stages of both the Royal London Cup and T20 Blast.

Elsewhere, head coach James Franklin, left the club earlier in September to pursue other opportunities, leaving Killeen and the rest of the coaching staff in temporary charge for the final few weeks of the season.

Commenting on his return to Durham, Harmison said: "It is really nice to be back with Durham for the next couple of weeks. This club has given me lots as a cricketer so to be able to come and give something back to this great county in a coaching role is something I am delighted to be able to do."

Director of cricket, Marcus North, hopes the former England international's vast experience will benefit Durham's squad, adding: "It is pleasing to be able to bring Harmy in for the final two games of the season, adding to our support staff.

"He knows the club inside out and what we are about as a county, we look forward to having him with us over the next couple of weeks and the experience he can bring to the playing squad."