Photo via Hindustan Times

Kevin Pietersen thought Brendon McCullum ‘was joking’ when he reached out for England job: ‘I have been critical of you’

England limited-overs head coach Brendon McCullum revealed that he personally initiated the move to recruit Kevin Pietersen as a mentor leading up to the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Following the ECB's announcement adding the iconic cricketer to the white-ball coaching ranks, McCullum disclosed that Pietersen initially assumed the phone call was in jest due to his past blunt critiques regarding England's preparation for matches against India prior to the 2025 Champions Trophy.

McCullum dismissed any notion of friction, praising the former batter's high-level playing background, strong work ethic, and ability to inject enthusiasm into the squad.

Speaking ahead of the opening T20 international facing Sri Lanka, McCullum stated that he urged Pietersen, who previously mentored the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, not to restrict himself to isolated technical instruction. Instead, the head coach hopes Pietersen will scrutinize the overall team atmosphere and challenge him behind closed doors on potential adjustments.