Brendon McCullum played a key role in bringing former England batter Kevin Pietersen back as a specialist mentor ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. Pietersen initially thought McCullum was “joking” when the England white-ball head coach reached out to him about returning to the national setup.
The 46-year-old will work with McCullum and England’s players in limited-overs formats ahead of the World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Pietersen will join the Harry Brook-led side for the first time during the home white-ball series against Sri Lanka, with the first T20I on Tuesday.
Brendon McCullum Opens Up On Kevin Pietersen’s Previous Criticism
Brendon McCullum’s decision to bring Kevin Pietersen into England’s white-ball setup has drawn attention because of the former batter’s previous criticism of the team. In 2025, Pietersen questioned England’s preparation for the ODI series against India ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, McCullum revealed that Pietersen was initially surprised when he offered him the mentor role. However, the England coach said he had no issue with the criticism and wanted to use Pietersen’s experience to benefit the team.
“When I rang him the first time, I said, ‘Would you be interested in coming to work with England?’ He thought I was joking for a start. And then he sort of mentioned, I've been quite critical of you guys in the past. I said, I have no problem with that, mate," McCullum said.
"There are parts of it I agree with, and there are parts I won't agree with. And that's fine. That's what the beauty of Kev coming in. He's obviously got an incredible pedigree as a player. A lot of our guys grew up watching and idolising Kev when he was in his pomp as a player as well.”
Kevin Pietersen Given Freedom to Challenge England’s Setup
Kevin Pietersen has already made an impact during his first 24 hours with the England camp. He observed training and spoke to the players as he began his new role with the team.
McCullum said he does not want Pietersen to focus only on batting. Instead, he has asked the former England star to assess the wider setup and offer a fresh perspective on England’s tactics and preparation.
“He's brought a ton of energy to the setup within the last 24 hours already. I've mentioned to him that I don't want him to just try and be buried in one specific skill set either. I want him to look across the environment and setup, and challenge me privately on ways we can improve or things we can do differently. Our relationship is good.”
Pietersen will work with a talented group led by Harry Brook, with established players such as Jos Buttler and Phil Salt and young players including Jacob Bethell also part of the squad.
Brendon McCullum Reveals Kevin Pietersen Appointment Was His Idea
McCullum also confirmed that bringing Pietersen back into the England setup was his idea. The former batter previously worked as a mentor with Delhi Capitals in the IPL and now returns to English cricket for the first time since his international career ended after the 2013-14 Ashes series.
McCullum believes Pietersen’s experience, work ethic and willingness to offer a different perspective can strengthen England’s white-ball setup.
“It's full of respect. We play against each other and we've enjoyed spending the time together over the last little while or two. I'm super excited to have him. I know he's super excited to be here. The boys are buzzing, and I'm pleased that we can add such a strong resource to what's already a very, very strong coaching staff of mine.”
When asked whether the appointment was his idea, McCullum replied, “Yeah, it was my idea.”
He added: “His work ethic is obviously second to none as well right throughout his career. When he's in on something, he's all in as well. I also think sometimes having someone who has a different take on things is no bad thing.”
