England appoint Kevin Pietersen to white-ball coaching staff
Former Ashes-winning batter joins as specialist mentor ahead of 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup
Quick Look
- England have appointed former batter Kevin Pietersen as a specialist mentor for their white-ball cricket team.
- Pietersen will assist head coach Brendon McCullum through the 2027 World Cup cycle, starting with upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Pietersen was a key player for England, winning the 2010 T20 World Cup, but his international career was marked by internal conflicts, including a 2012 incident involving text messages to opposing players.
England have appointed former Ashes-winning batter Kevin Pietersen to their white-ball coaching team in the build-up to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Pietersen, 46, joins as a specialist mentor and will start in the role for the upcoming T20 and one-day matches against Sri Lanka.
He will also be involved in this winter's tours to Australia and South Africa, before joining up with the teams again for the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer, as well as the 50-over World Cup which is being held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in the autumn.
"I've got immense respect for KP and what he's achieved in the game," said England's white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum.
"He's had an amazing impact on English cricket, so for someone with his experience, knowledge and stature to want to play a role with this team is a fantastic result."
Pietersen is one of England's most successful white-ball batters, being named player of the tournament when they won the T20 World Cup for the first time in 2010.
The right-hander scored almost 4,500 ODI runs at an average of 41.32 - bettered only by Joe Root - while in T20 cricket he has the highest average of all batters to hit more than 1,000 runs for England.
He did, however, fall out with a number of former England players and coaches during his career.
He was dropped during a Test series against South Africa in 2012 for sending "provocative" text messages to opposing players, for which he apologised to then captain Andrew Strauss.
He was only allowed to return to the team after a successful 'reintegration' period.
Since retiring, Pietersen has enjoyed a successful career as a commentator and content creator while he has mentored in the Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals.
"I am immensely proud to have been asked to help this team on their journey to win a World Cup in South Africa," said Pietersen.
"Putting on the England uniform again for the first time since 2014 is a profound honour and a deeply special moment.
"We have an incredibly talented white-ball squad, and I am excited to get in the trenches and work relentlessly hard with these players to maximise their potential."
Open Questions
- What specific technical areas will Pietersen focus on with the squad?
