England appoint Pietersen as specialist mentor for white-ball teams

Kevin Pietersen is to join the England men's white-ball teams as a specialist mentor in the build-up to next year's Cricket World Cup in Africa.Pietersen will join up with Brendon McCullum's white-ball teams for the forthcoming T20 international and ODI series' against Sri Lanka later this month, joining a coaching team that also includes Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor. Former England captain Pietersen said: "I'm 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." England men's white-ball head coach Brendon 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." More from Cricket England clinch ODI series sweep of Ireland as Sophia Dunkley hits second international century in 114-run win England vs Ireland: Alice Capsey trial as wicketkeeper in keeping with England's push for 'world-class' all-rounders England vs Ireland, third women's ODI: Alice Capsey takes two smart stumpings England vs Ireland | Third ODI highlights England vs Ireland, third women's ODI: Cricket score, updates, video and analysis from final match of series in Worcester Lydia Greenway explains selection strategy to close gap on Australia The former Ashes and T20 World Cup winner will also be involved in this winter's white-ball tours to Australia and South Africa, before joining up with the teams again for the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand next summer, as well as the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Over an international career spanning 10 years, Pietersen played 136 ODIs and 37 T20 matches for England, scoring more than 5,500 runs. He also brings experience of scoring another 8,181 runs across his 104 Test match appearances.He worked as a mentor for Delhi Capitals during the 2025 Indian Premier League.More to follow…This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports, you can follow @SkySportsNews on X to get the latest updates and you can also now follow Sky Sports' WhatsApp channel.