ECB appoints Kevin Pietersen as England's specialist white-ball mentor for ODI World Cup 2027

England's former captain Kevin Pietersen has returned to the white-ball set-up as their 'specialist mentor' 12 years after his fall out with England Cricket Board (ECB) ending his international cricket career. Pietersen has joined head coach Brendon McCullum's support staff till the ODI World Cup 2027 which will be played on South Africa soil. 

As broadcaster, Pietersen has been one of the strongest critic of the England side. He had questioned the England team's environment in 2025 on India tour and wondered why Harry Brook chose to not play the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Capitals (DC).

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What Pietersen said on his return to England setup?

Pietersen will join the England backroom staff starting with the white-ball series against Sri Lanka at home which begins on September 15. The coaching staff includes Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetal Patel and Sarah Taylor.

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“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.”

McCullum is excited to see Pietersen work with England batters and hailed his experience and knowledge of the game. ECB expects the 46-year-old who grew up in South Africa, to help England batters counter the South African conditions in the pursuit of second ODI World Cup title. 

Pietersen’s experience in coaching

Before his appointment in England’s coaching setup, Pietersen had worked with the England batters for a short duration during a series in South Africa in 2023. He has also served as a mentor for IPL franchise DC where he liked working with KL Rahul.

Pietersen’s white-ball numbers

In addition to 8,141 runs Test runs, Pietersen had 4,440 runs from 136 ODIs at an average of 40.73, including nine tons and 25 fifties. He played 37 T20Is, scoring 1,176 runs averaging 37.93, featuring seven fifties. He has played T20 franchise cricket in various countries. His last T20 appearance was in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018.