England appoint ICC Hall of Famer as specialist mentor

ICC Hall of Famer and England's swashbuckling batter in the 2000s and early 2010s, Kevin Pietersen has been appointed as a specialist mentor to the white-ball setup. 

The appointment comes as the 2019 Men's Cricket World Cup champions look to build up towards next year's Cricket World Cup, which will take place in South Africa.

The South African-born Pietersen made his debut for the Three Lions in November 2004, and had a significant impact on England's limited-overs game, with 4,440 ODI runs at an average of 40.73 and nine ODI hundreds.

He was also impactful in the early days of T20I cricket, with 1176 T20I runs at an average of 37.93 and a strike rate of 141.51. He was a member of the 2010 England team which lifted the Men's T20 World Cup that year.

In recent times, Pietersen has also worked as a mentor to the Delhi Capitals during the 2025 Indian Premier League.

Pietersen will join Brendon McCullum-led England white-ball setup ahead of the Sri Lanka ODI and T20I series, and will remain with the team during the white-ball tours to Australia and South Africa, before joining up with the team again for the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer, as well as the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

Kevin Pietersen looked forward to his return to the England setup.

“I am immensely proud to have been asked to help this team on their journey to win a World Cup in South Africa," Pietersen said.

"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.”

McCullum noted Pietersen's presence would be especially helpful to the team's batters.

"I’ve got immense respect for KP and what he’s achieved in the game," he said. "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.

"I’m particularly excited for our batters to get the opportunity to work with him. KP has a unique understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level, which will be hugely valuable to our players. We’ve always respected each other and had a strong appreciation for what the other brings to the game, so I’m really looking forward to working together."