The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has brought former England captain Kevin Pietersen back into the national setup by appointing him as the ‘Specialist Mentor’ for the England white-ball team. Pietersen will work alongside head coach Brendon McCullum as England prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup and other major white-ball assignments.

England Test captain Joe Root has welcomed Pietersen’s appointment, recalling the impact the former batter had on him during the early stages of his international career. Root is currently the only member of the England squad to have played alongside Pietersen before his international retirement.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Root revealed that he always valued Pietersen’s presence as a senior player and believes his experience can now benefit the current generation of England cricketers. “Yeah, I’m probably the last player to have played with him still going. I really enjoyed him as a senior player.”

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Joe Root also remembered his first tour of India, where he closely observed Pietersen and sought his advice on handling spin bowling in challenging conditions. According to Root, Pietersen was generous with his knowledge and played an important role in helping him develop his game.

“Coming into the team, he was someone that I would spend, you know, I’d be shadowing all the time. That first tour of India in particular, I’d try and buddy up with him in the nets, watch how he practised, watch how he did things, ask him for advice.” Root added that Pietersen’s willingness to share his experience could prove valuable now that he has joined England’s coaching setup.

“And he was really open, really honest, very helpful in terms of how to get the best out of my game against spin.” The England Test captain believes Pietersen can have a similar influence in his new mentoring role. “And, you know, if he can offer that kind of stuff in a coaching capacity as he did as a senior player, then I think it’s really going to benefit us as a group. So I’m really excited to work with him and, you know, get him in the environment.”

Meanwhile, England are preparing for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Wednesday. The hosts have already secured the series after winning the opening two Tests. With England set to face Sri Lanka in a full white-ball series after the Pakistan Test, Pietersen’s appointment comes at an important stage of their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

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Root also insisted that England are not distracted by the changes and uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s coaching and playing setup. He said the team’s focus remains firmly on its own preparation. “We are just looking after ourselves, to be honest. Trying to get across to the guys that have come into the squad, make sure that they are ready for how they are likely to play, how we can counter that both with bat and ball and look after our own house.”

Joe Root stressed that England want to stay fresh, prepared and confident heading into the decisive Test. “We have had enough to deal with ourselves over the last little while. So just keep preparing well, making sure that we are fresh, ready to go, and we take that confidence forward in the next five days.”