Former England Captain Kevin Pietersen has clarified the terms of his consultancy role with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), explaining that his position as England’s White-ball Team Mentor does not require him to travel with the squad for every match.
His clarification follows questions about his absence from England’s ODI tri-series in Pakistan, where the team failed to reach the final after losing its opening three matches.
Pietersen was in India attending the DP World India Championship golf tournament in Delhi while England competed in Pakistan.
Pietersen explains his ECB consultancy arrangement
Addressing questions about his involvement with England’s white-ball setup, Pietersen confirmed that his position is not a full-time appointment and outlined his immediate plans to rejoin the squad.
Pietersen wrote on X: “Just need to clear something up once and for all. I am a consultant to the ECB. I am not a full-time employee. So I WILL NOT be with the white-ball team all the time and for EVERY game they play over the next 12 months. Excited to travel to Aus for a few weeks to be with the team on Monday! Hope that clears things up once and for all.”
Just need to clear something up once and for all.
I am a consultant to the England Cricket Team. I am not a full time employee.
So I WILL NOT be with the white ball team all the time and for EVERY game they play over the next 12 months.Excited to travel to Aus for a few weeks to be with the team on Monday!
Hope that clears things up once and for all!
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) October 31, 2026
Pietersen’s consultancy agreement covers approximately 150 days through the conclusion of the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
He is also scheduled to work with England during their tour of South Africa and the team’s matches against Pakistan and New Zealand in the build-up to the tournament.
England’s Australia tour next on Pietersen’s schedule
England will begin their white-ball tour of Australia on Friday, November 13, in Perth, with three One-Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals scheduled.
Pietersen will join the touring party for several weeks as part of his wider consultancy arrangement.
The assignment comes as England continue preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup under Head Coach Brendon McCullum.
Pietersen joined the white-ball coaching setup earlier this year as a specialist mentor, working alongside a support staff that includes Marcus Trescothick, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel and Sarah Taylor.
His first assignment in the position was England’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
England’s Pakistan tri-series campaign ends early
England’s disappointing campaign in Pakistan provided the backdrop to questions about Pietersen’s absence.
The Harry Brook-led side lost twice to Pakistan and once to Sri Lanka in its first three matches, leaving it unable to qualify for the final.
Among the defeats was a match against Sri Lanka in which England failed to defend a total of 429. In another fixture, Pakistan recovered from 154/9 while chasing 242 to secure victory.
Having already been eliminated from contention for a place in the final, England defeated Sri Lanka in their final league-stage match.
Pakistan went on to defeat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final in Lahore to win the ODI tri-series.
Pietersen brings international and IPL experience
Pietersen’s appointment marked his return to England’s national-team environment more than a decade after his international playing career ended following the 2013–14 Ashes series in Australia.
Across 104 Tests, he scored 8,181 runs for England. He also represented the country in 136 ODIs and 37 T20Is, scoring more than 5,500 runs across the two limited-overs formats.
He was named Player of the Tournament when England won their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2010.
Before taking up his current consultancy, Pietersen served as a mentor with Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals during the 2025 season. He also worked briefly with England’s batters during an ODI series in South Africa in 2023, alongside his broadcasting and media commitments.
