Joe Root welcomes Kevin Pietersen's England mentor role: Details here

Joe Root welcomes Kevin Pietersen's England mentor role: Details here
08 Sep 2026

England's Test captain Joe Root has welcomed the appointment of former cricketer Kevin Pietersen as a specialist mentor for the white-ball teams.

Root, who earlier played alongside Pietersen for England, said that the latter had a huge impact on his batting.

The 35-year-old said he tried to learn from Pietersen during their first tour of India in the 2012/13 season.

Root credits Pietersen for improving his game
Mentorship impact

Ahead of the 3rd Test against Pakistan, Root recalled how he would shadow Pietersen as a senior player and learn from him.

He said, "I really enjoyed him as a senior player coming into the team. He was someone that I would be shadowing all the time."

The England captain also emphasized how Pietersen helped him improve his game against spin bowling by being open and honest with advice during their tours together.

Pietersen's insights and personality will be beneficial: Root
Coaching expectations

Root is hopeful that Pietersen's personality and insights will prove beneficial for the team as they prepare for the ICC Men's ODI World Cup next year.

He said, "I think you want people to give their honest opinion."

The England captain also praised Pietersen's knowledge and understanding of batting, saying he has a lot of energy, which will be great for the group.

'Not easy': On Test series vs Pakistan
Series challenge

Despite leading the three-match series 2-0, Root emphasized that the scoreline doesn't fully reflect the challenge posed by Pakistan.

He said, "I think that's a bit disrespectful to both Pakistan as a team and to us as a team."

The England captain added that their performance has prevented Pakistan from getting into games by quickly reading situations and surfaces they've had.

Pietersen's journey with England
Appointment

Pietersen was appointed as England's specialist mentor for the white-ball teams on September 7. The move came ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Pietersen's first assignment in this new role will be on the upcoming T20Is and ODIs against Sri Lanka, followed by another tour to South Africa.

The former skipper represented England in 104 Tests, 136 ODIs, and 37 T20Is. He hammered 13,797 international runs at an average of 44.07, including 32 tons.