Kevin Pietersen joins England's white-ball coaching setup
Former England batting star Kevin Pietersen has been named a specialist mentor for England's white-ball team ahead of the 2027 World Cup. It marks his return to the setup 12 years after a turbulent exit.
England have named former Ashes-winning batter Kevin Pietersen as a specialist mentor for their white-ball coaching team, as the side builds towards the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The 46-year-old will begin his new role during England's upcoming T20 and one-day matches against Sri Lanka. He will remain involved through this winter's tours of Australia and South Africa, and again for next summer's home series against Pakistan and New Zealand, before the 50-over World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
England's white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum praised Pietersen's achievements and impact on English cricket, calling his willingness to join the setup a fantastic outcome for the team.
Pietersen ranks among England's most successful white-ball batters, having been named player of the tournament when England won their first T20 World Cup in 2010. He scored almost 4,500 ODI runs at an average of 41.32, second only to Joe Root, and holds the highest T20 average of any England player with more than 1,000 runs.
His playing career, however, was also marked by conflict. He was criticised as 'divisive' within the dressing room and dropped from a 2012 Test series against South Africa for sending 'provocative' messages to opposition players, later apologising to then-captain Andrew Strauss. He only returned to the squad following a formal reintegration process.
Since retiring, Pietersen has worked as a commentator and content creator, and has mentored at Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals. He said he was proud to be asked to help the team's World Cup campaign in South Africa and described wearing the England uniform again as a deeply special moment.
