Kevin Pietersen Open to Ashes Mentoring Role After Fleming Talks

Kevin Pietersen said on Thursday night that the England white-ball environment under Brendon McCullum is "completely different" from his preconceptions, and that Stephen Fleming is considering extending his new ECB role into Test cricket ahead of the Ashes next summer.

McCullum called Pietersen last month to gauge his interest in a short-term, consultancy role as England's white-ball mentor. He has worked closely with England's batters during their ongoing series against Sri Lanka and will continue to be involved "in and out" until the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa next year.

Pietersen revealed after Sri Lanka's ODI series-levelling win at Headingley on Thursday that he has also spoken to Fleming, England's new Test coach, about the prospect of working with the red-ball team - and that while his schedule would not allow a full-time role, he hopes to have some influence on December's tour to South Africa and before the 2027 Ashes.

Since retiring from playing, Pietersen has primarily worked as a broadcaster, but he also has a number of business interests and launched a successful YouTube channel earlier this year called The Switch. He said that it would be difficult for him to commit much more time to coaching, but confirmed that he has spoken to Fleming about working with England's Test batters.

He stated that his "pretty crazy schedule" would be an obstacle, and that he would be unavailable toward the end of the Ashes next summer. "I go to Africa and get away with animals for three or four weeks," he said. But he has already spoken to some players about Test batting, and will do so around winter white-ball tours to Australia (three ODIs, five T20Is) and South Africa (three ODIs).

Pietersen stated, "I have talked to Stephen Fleming, but I don't think that necessarily means that I need to be in a dressing room." "There's a lot of time in the lead-up to an Ashes series; there's a lot of time in the lead-up to the tour of South Africa now, where I'm going to be with the Test batters in Australia, and there's conversations that can be had there."

Fleming and Pietersen did not play together at Nottinghamshire; Fleming took over as captain in 2005, right after Pietersen left for Hampshire. However, they worked together at Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League and had conversations at the Indian Premier League. Additionally, they spoke when Fleming briefly joined England's staff prior to the T20I on Saturday in Manchester.

"Inside a tournament, I can't do anything. "I can't do anything," Pietersen continued. "However, I've certainly had a conversation with Flem, whom I absolutely adore, about the language he would like me to use with the Test batters heading into, say, South Africa and, most certainly, the summer of next year. But I don't think I can commit to a lot more time."