Australia have roped in the services of retired sprint king Usain Bolt in order to boost their running between the wickets during the upcoming five-match Ashes Test series against England.

The eight-time Olympic Gold winner, who holds the world record for the 100m (9.58 seconds), the 200m (19.19 seconds) and the 4x100m relay (36.84 seconds), will help the Australian batsmen in improving their ‘explosiveness’ off the mark, reports the ANI news agency.

‘It’s all about explosiveness, and that’s one thing I’ve noticed with cricket - they don’t really have a lot of explosiveness when they’re running. They seem to always take off at a slow rate. Getting that right will definitely help people,’ Bolt, who hasn’t lost at a major championship since he burst onto the scene in 2008, told the local Australian daily.

Welcoming Bolt’s appointment ahead of the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane, Australian batsman Peter Handscomb informed that the Jamaican sprinter has been giving his side few pointers on how to get a little bit faster, Sport24 reported.

‘He was giving us a few pointers on how to get a little bit faster. We’ll give it a crack. He was trying to get us nice and low in the turn and in and out. The first couple of steps are key and if we can get them right, we’ll be fast. Obviously he’s the fastest man ever so if we can have the title with him, that’d be cool,’ Handscomb said.

The 2017-18 Ashes series will be played at five venues across Australia between November 23, 2017 and January 8, 2018.