Kevin Pietersen returns to England set-up after 12 years in World Cup role

One of England’s most explosive batsmen, Kevin Pietersen is set to return to the national team setup for the first time since his retirement in 2014 after being appointed specialist mentor to the white-ball teams ahead of next year’s World Cup.

The England Cricket Board said Pietersen will join Brendon McCullum’s coaching staff for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka later this month, working alongside Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.

“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.

The 46-year-old’s involvement will extend through England’s white-ball tours to Australia and South Africa and their home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer, before the ODI World Cup itself.

“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,” he said. “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.”

An explosive middle-order batter, Pietersen scored nearly 14,000 runs across all three formats for England, who last won the ODI World Cup in 2019 on home soil.

Pietersen’s South African upbringing could prove particularly valuable as England prepare for the 2027 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October that year.

“I’m particularly excited for our batters to get the opportunity to work with him,” McCullum said. “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.”