Kevin Pietersen appointed England’s white-ball mentor ahead of Sri Lanka series
Kevin Pietersen (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 07 Sep 2026, 02:16 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has been appointed as specialist mentor for the England Men’s white-ball teams in the lead-up to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 in southern Africa. Pietersen will join forces with head coach Brendon McCullum ahead of the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka later this month, and the coaching staff, including Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.
Pietersen, who was born and brought up in South Africa, possesses the knowledge and understanding that will help the ODI team as it prepares for next year’s World Cup, which is being played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Speaking on his appointment, Pietersen expressed his excitement at returning to the England setup for the first time since last playing for the country in 2014.
“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," said Pietersen in a media release.
England’s white-ball teams head coach Brendon McCullum is thrilled to have Pietersen on board, saying that his experience and knowledge will be hugely valuable to the players.
“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. 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,” he added.
Pietersen's international career
Pietersen had an illustrious career at the international level, having played 136 ODIs and 37 T20I matches for England, scoring more than 5,500 runs. He also accumulated 8,181 runs across his 104 Test matches and was a part of multiple Ashes-winning campaigns. Pietersen was also named Player of the Tournament in England’s 2010 T20 World Cup triumph.