Joe Root has welcomed the appointment of his former England team-mate Kevin Pietersen to the white-ball coaching staff. Pietersen is returning to England’s ODI and T20 ranks as a batting mentor in preparation for next year’s 50-over World Cup, which will be held in his native South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Root, the last remaining link from the 2013-14 Ashes squad, stated he wants Pietersen to maintain his forthright approach. Root said, “You want people to give their honest opinion, why would you get him involved if you didn’t want him to tell you what he thinks and to give his insight into the game?”
The Test captain believes the current England team is in a different place compared to 2014, when Pietersen was exiled. Root added that the players are “very fortunate to get the chance to tap into his knowledge and experience,” highlighting Pietersen’s strong understanding of batting and his energy.
Root, who first batted with Pietersen for England in India in December 2012, recalled learning a significant amount from him as a youngster. He expressed confidence that Pietersen’s coaching capacity will benefit the group, just as his contributions did as a senior player.