Ending a 12-year absence and putting past bitter rivalries behind, former captain Kevin Pietersen is returning to the England national team’s dressing room. However, the 46-year-old former star batter will not be returning as a player, but rather as the Specialist Mentor for the Three Lions’ white-ball squad.
Pietersen will join England’s limited-overs setup starting next week, having signed a one-year contract as part of head coach Brendon McCullum’s backroom coaching staff. His tenure will kick off with the tour of Sri Lanka later this September. He will subsequently accompany the team on tours to Australia and South Africa, as well as home series against Pakistan and New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) aims to leverage Pietersen’s extensive international experience ahead of the upcoming One Day International (ODI) World Cup in South Africa.
Pietersen was sidelined from international cricket in 2014 following a fallout with the board, eventually retiring from all forms of competitive cricket in 2018. Following his playing career, he worked globally as an international commentator and cricket analyst, while also gaining coaching experience as a mentor for the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.
