Pietersen appointed specialist mentor of England white-ball teams

Former captain Kevin Pietersen was on Monday (September 7, 2026) appointed as a specialist mentor of England’s white-ball teams in the build-up to next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in Africa.

Pietersen will join head coach Brendon McCullum’s white-ball set-up for the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka later this month, joining a coaching team which will also include Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.

He will also be involved in this winter’s white-ball tours of Australia and South Africa, before joining up again for the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer, as well as the World Cup.

“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,” Pietersen said in a England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement.

“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.”

Stellar career

Over an international career spanning 10 years, Pietersen played 136 ODIs and 37 T20 matches for England, scoring more than 5,500 runs. He also brings experience of scoring another 8,181 runs across his 104 Test matches. He worked as a mentor for Delhi Capitals during the 2025 Indian Premier League.

Having grown up in South Africa, Pietersen’s knowledge and understanding will particularly help the ODI team as it prepares for next year’s World Cup to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

England men’s white-ball head coach McCullum added: “I’ve got immense respect for KP and what he’s achieved in the game. 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.”