Pietersen joins England’s white-ball coaching team

Pietersen joins England's white-ball coaching team. England appoint former Ashes-winning batter Kevin Pietersen to their white-ball coaching team in the build-up to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

What happened

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kevin Pietersen scored almost 14,000 runs across all three formats for England, with only Alastair Cook and Joe Root hitting moreByMarc HigginsonBBC Sport Senior JournalistPublished7 September 2026, 11:03 BSTUpdated 3 hours agoEngland have appointed former Ashes-winning batter Kevin Pietersen to their white-ball coaching team in the build-up to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. Pietersen is one of England's most successful white-ball batters, being named player of the tournament when they won the T20 World Cup for the first time in 2010.

Pietersen was also one of the first to advocate for England players being allowed to play in the Indian Premier League and other white-ball franchise leagues around the world – a stance which often put him at odds with his employers. "He also criticised England's coaching set-up, led by McCullum, during a white-ball tour to India in 2025. Perhaps the greatest white-ball batter to play for England, his knowledge and experience will bring an X-factor to the coaching staff.

"One thing that I've learned about being in Pakistan and coaching for a period of time, nearly 15 months now with the white-ball team, is there's always something going on in the background. "I've got immense respect for KP and what he's achieved in the game," said England's white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum.

The wider picture

"Figure caption, Archer pleased with the appointment of PietersenPietersen spoke about his coaching ambitions earlier in 2026,, external after England's 4-1 Ashes hammering in Australia. Though this role is with the white-ball teams, he said he would "love" to help coach the Test side, telling the Guardian he has "got all the credentials" and has "worn every ​single T-shirt". "I'm sorry, but I am absolutely gobsmacked that England did not have one team practice session since losing the first ODI and losing the T20 series," said Pietersen, who was working as a commentator for the host broadcaster.

Related topicsCricketEngland Men's Cricket TeamMore on this storyAn unforgettable, unreliable, idiosyncratic genius – England should be grateful for PietersenPublished18 March 2018Pietersen – the unanswered questionsPublished5 February 2014 Pietersen, 46, joins as a specialist mentor and will start in the role for the upcoming T20 and one-day matches against Sri Lanka. "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.

"England's T20 team is ranked second in the world but their 50-over side is seventh after struggling since their World Cup win in 2019. For England, this is the first step in reshaping the backroom teams in the new era of split coaches.

What has been reported

It is also not the first time they have hired a big name to act as a consultant to the white-ball side, following Andrew Flintoff and Kieron Pollard. Brook is the closest England have produced to another Pietersen, yet has admitted he still needs to make better decisions in the middle. Along with Brook, the England dressing room is filled with players who grew up watching and idolising Pietersen. Kai Havertz looks fit, sharp and still with the right amount of nasty, creating matchup problems with Alonso's back three and inviting teammates into play (sometimes by not touching the ball at all, as we saw with his dummy).

One of the side effects of the ultra-rich getting richer in football is that many in the upper middle-class — to which Schalke, based on their support and history, historically belong — drop themselves into the ground trying to keep up. (I'm sure you can think of examples from England and Spain too. ) I'm not sure how you solve this, but it's nice to see them back. Skip to content Pakistan Cricket Board investigating 'discipline and conduct' of team in latest twist on crisis tour of England Pakistan dropped seven players from their touring squad after being heavily beaten by England in the first two Tests; watch the third Test between England and Pakistan, at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports from Wednesday, September 9 Monday 7 September 2026 17:34, UK Image: Babar Azam (right) was retained in Pakistan's squad for the third Test at Edgbaston The Pakistan Cricket Board has launched an investigation into "media reports concerning discipline and conduct" amid the team's crisis tour of England.

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul have also been replaced, with Mike Hesson, in charge of Pakistan's white-ball sides, and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke overseeing the third Test at Edgbaston, which begins on Wednesday. "Watch day one of England's third Test against Pakistan, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Wednesday September 9 (11am first ball).

What happens next

England vs Pakistan – results and scheduleAll games live on Sky SportsFirst Test (Headingley) – England won by innings and 103 runsSecond Test (Lord's) – England won by 194 runsThird Test (Edgbaston) – September 9-13 Around Sky Upgrade to get all of Sky Sports, including 1500 live football games Not got Sky? "We bought very, very good players but you can't just build the team with the names like in Football Manager," he told Sky Sports. He will also be involved in this winter's 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 50-over World Cup, which is being held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in the autumn.

"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. 32 – bettered only by Joe Root – while in T20 cricket he has the highest average of all batters to hit more than 1,000 runs for England. He did, however, fall out with a number of former England players and coaches during his career. He was only allowed to return to the team after a successful 'reintegration' period.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, espn.com, skysports.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.