Brendon McCullum wants Kevin Pietersen to challenge him as England mentor

Brendon McCullum and Kevin Pietersen (Pic/AFP)

England white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum has encouraged newly appointed specialist mentor Kevin Pietersen to privately challenge him on strategic improvements as the legendary batter begins his role ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

Pietersen, who scored 13,797 international runs across 277 matches for England between 2004 and 2014, steps into the mentorship role through the 2027 ODI World Cup. His tenure kicks off with the home white-ball series against Sri Lanka, starting with the opening T20I in Southampton.

Recalling their first conversation, McCullum revealed Kevin Pietersen was surprised by the offer given his past criticism of the team.

"When I rang him and asked whether he would be interested in coming and working with England, I think he thought I was joking for a start! He mentioned that he has been quite critical of us in the past and I said, 'I have no problem with that, mate'. There are parts I might agree with and parts I might not agree with, and that is fine," McCullum shared via Sky Sports.

"The way he looks at the game is quite different to a lot of people and if someone can see something different and point that out to help you to become better, then I see that as no bad thing. Kev will do that and I have encouraged him to do that. I do not want him to be buried in one specific skillset - I want him to look across the set-up and challenge me privately on ways we can improve and do things differently," he added.

McCullum wants Pietersen's 'big personality' to help England

Pietersen previously voiced criticism regarding England's white-ball tour of India in early 2025 prior to the Champions Trophy, targeting their preparation against spin. Despite that history, McCullum praised Pietersen's impact.

"He is one of those guys where he has so much in his life, so for him to give up those things to focus on trying to help us to get to the level we want and challenge for World Cups, we are incredibly lucky. Kev was an unbelievable player and a winner. He left no stone unturned with his preparation. He believed in himself in those big moments and more often than not performed in those moments. He is a big personality and fiercely competitive," McCullum said.

(With inputs from ANI)