Kevin Pietersen will rejoin England’s ranks after accepting a white-ball coaching role – a dozen years on from his international playing career ending in controversial fashion.
The former England captain has been appointed as a specialist mentor to the ODI and T20 teams in the build-up to next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa and he will get stuck into his new role in a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka from next week.
Pietersen is regarded as one of England’s greatest batters of the 21st century and was instrumental in their 2005 Ashes win, with his hundred on the last day at the Oval securing a seminal 2-1 triumph.
His England playing days came to a much-publicised bitter end after the 2013-14 whitewash in Australia following a fallout with the management but he has been welcomed into the fold by white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum, whose time in charge of the Test side ended this summer.
“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.”
Pietersen wrote an autobiography that was highly critical of former coaches and team-mates months after he was exiled by England, while he was critical of the current white-ball set-up during their tour of India in early 2025, claiming they had not been training enough.
Pietersen, who was player of the tournament when England won the 2010 T20 World Cup and has been a mentor for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, will link up with Ashes 2005 team-mate and batting coach Marcus Trescothick in the backroom for the series against Sri Lanka.
Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor will complete the coaching set-up for three T20s and three ODIs against Sri Lanka.
Pietersen will again be involved for this winter’s white-ball tours to Australia and his native South Africa and then for home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer before the 2027 50-over World Cup in the autumn in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
McCullum 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.
“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.”
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