Kevin Pietersen has been appointed as a specialist mentor to England men's white-ball teams ahead of next year's Cricket World Cup.
Pietersen will join Brendon McCullum's side for their ODI and T20I series' against Sri Lanka later this month, and will also be involved in their winter tours to Australia and South Africa, as well as next year's home summer series'.
Speaking on his appointment, Pietersen said: “I am immensely proud to have been asked to help this team on their journey to win a World Cup in South Africa. 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. To be a part of Brendon’s think tank over the next 12 months is a fantastic opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Kevin Pietersen has been appointed as a specialist mentor for England Men’s white-ball teams in the build-up to next year's ODI World Cup 🏆
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 7, 2026
His first assignment will be the upcoming series against Sri Lanka 🏴 pic.twitter.com/Duc71LNubC
Pietersen made his international debut for England in 2004, starting an international career which would span for over a decade. He played 136 ODIs for England and 37 T20Is, as well as 104 Tests. His England career was marked with controversies, including his brief captaincy period in 2008, 'Text-gate' in 2012, as well as the acrimonious end of his international career in 2014.
Since then, Pietersen has gone on to become a significant figure in the media as a pundit, as well as his own YouTube channel The Switch. He also worked for Delhi Capitals as a mentor during the 2025 IPL.
Pietersen joins England at a time of diverging fortunes for their white-ball side. Their T20I series victory over India this summer saw them ascend to No.1 in the world, while they sit seventh in the ICC's ODI rankings.
Their winter series' will also mark McCullum's first in charge since losing his Test role. Pietersen has previously been critical of McCullum's running of England's Test side, saying earlier this year: “The talent is there. What they [England] need to do is knuckle down. In Test cricket you’ve got to accept that it’s going to be tough, that you’ve got to be prepared for the hard yards. Hopefully the new Test coach will instil the sort of discipline which has been lacking over the past couple of months. In sport you can change mindsets. They just need to change the mindset.”
More to follow...
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