Kevin Pietersen says he is 'completely different' as he outlines role as England's white-ball specialist mentor

Kevin Pietersen said he is a "completely different" person as he spoke at Headingley on 25 September 2026 about his appointment as specialist mentor to England's white-ball teams, adding "I'll be in and out" as he settles back into the dressing room.

The appointment, which has divided opinion, was initiated by Brendon McCullum, England's specialist white-ball coach, and followed a phone call in which McCullum asked Pietersen to "join us in the dressing room" and to "work over the next 12 months to be competitive in South Africa next year." Pietersen said he needed several conversations to be convinced and recalled initially wondering, "What have I done now? Have I said something?"

Pietersen acknowledged the acrimony that ended his playing career, noting his early conflicts in dressing rooms and his unceremonious sacking in early 2014; the BBC also records that he was dropped after the 2013-14 Ashes and that director of cricket Andrew Strauss later referred to a "massive trust issue." He reminded listeners he had worn "every T-shirt that an England cricketer can wear" across 104 Tests, 136 ODIs and 37 T20s and said that experience could help players avoid the "unhappy" parts of a career.

While describing his involvement as not full-time, Pietersen said his contribution might extend beyond preparing for the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next year and confirmed he has already spoken with incoming Test coach Stephen Fleming and with Joe Root about potential input ahead of a home Ashes series that precedes the World Cup. He said his initial days in the setup have been about listening as much as speaking.

Pietersen described practical work he has carried out with the squad, saying he is "concocting and delivering training drills" and that players have engaged with his sessions; he also said McCullum has been "inundated with ideas" from him on a "relaxed take-it-or-leave-it basis." He reported a shift in his own demeanour, adding, "I'm 46 now. That stuff is so long gone," and that he can now laugh at himself amid the dressing-room banter.

On Harry Brook, Pietersen recounted watching him in the first season of the Hundred and recalled telling on-air colleagues: "Who is this kid? He is an absolute superstar in the making. A normal player can't do that." He said his specific contribution could be structure in match situations, arguing, "There was a lot of method in my madness when I played," and describing Brook as "so flipping good" and "a joke" in the sense of being frighteningly talented.

Pietersen set out his personal motivation for returning, saying: "For my career to be cut short in the way all the nonsense was, to be in this position now where I don't have to go out and bat, I don't have to worry about the headlines, I can just try and help these guys become better players, to hand over quite a bit of information - that excites me. Like, really excites me. Being back in an England dressing room is amazing. It really is."

England now prepare for the series decider at the Oval on Sunday, while Pietersen remains part of a McCullum-led plan to "work over the next 12 months to be competitive in South Africa next year."