Kevin Pietersen will return to the England fold 12 years on from his acrimonious sacking as a player after being appointed as a “specialist mentor” to the men’s white-ball teams until the end of the 50-over Cricket World Cup next year. Announced on Monday morning, this consultancy deal marks the first time Pietersen will have worked with the senior England side since his central contract was ripped up in the wake of the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash in Australia. Pietersen, 46, has worked as a TV commentator and an online content creator since he stopped playing in 2018 and will join Brendon McCullum’s white-ball coaching staff for the home fixtures against Sri Lanka this month.
The deal runs until the end of World Cup in late 2027, albeit with Pietersen due to miss a one-day international tri-series in Pakistan that takes place this October. 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.
To be a part of Brendon’s thinktank over the next 12 months is a fantastic opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started.” Drafting in such a strong – and at times divisive – character represents a bold move by McCullum. Pietersen has also criticised the New Zealander’s approach in recent times, including the white-ball team’s approach to training during a tour of India last year and the Test side’s preparations before last winter’s Ashes series. Nevertheless, Pietersen’s pedigree as an all-format international is not in question, nor his own dedication to training and preparation back in his playing days.
Indeed a number of current players have cited Pietersen as an influence growing up, while Harry Brook, the white-ball captain, has drawn comparisons as a batter. The England statement also noted Pietersen’s knowledge of South Africa, hosts for the 2027 World Cup along with Namibia and Zimbabwe. He joins a setup that includes the assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick and Jeetan Patel, with Sarah Taylor in charge of fielding/wicketkeeping and Tim Southee overseeing the bowlers.
McCullum, who was sacked as Test head coach in July, said: “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. KP has a unique understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level, which will be hugely valuable to our players.
Joe Root’s side have the chance to secure a 3-0 clean sweep, with the tourists having dropped seven players from their original squad in response to last week’s defeat at Lord’s. Despite a summer of quickfire Test matches where the ball has dominated, Jofra Archer is wary of an Edgbaston pitch on which last year’s defeat to India went the distance, with Shubman Gill scoring 430 runs across two innings. Archer said: “It’s early days [for this attack] but we’ve been going all right so far.
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