Kevin Pietersen joins England coaching team as specialist mentor

Kevin Pietersen is set to join England men's cricket white-ball teams in a coaching role ahead of next year's World Cup in Africa.

The former England captain said he was "immensely proud" to be appointed as a specialist mentor to the One Day International and T20 teams.

The 46-year-old will begin his new role in a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka from next week.

In joining head coach Brendon McCullum's white-ball setup, he will be part of a coaching team that also includes Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.

Pietersen is regarded as one of England's greatest batters of the 21st century and was instrumental in their 2005 Ashes win.

His England playing days came to a much-publicised bitter end after the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash in Australia.

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On his new role, 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.

"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."

(c) Sky News 2026: Kevin Pietersen joins England coaching team as specialist mentor