Joe Root has backed Kevin Pietersen to make a major impact in his new role with England’s white-ball teams, revealing how he himself once “shadowed” the former batter during his first tour of India and sought his advice on playing spin.
Pietersen was recently appointed as a specialist mentor for England’s men’s white-ball sides, marking a notable return to the national setup more than a decade after his international career ended amid a breakdown in his relationship with the England hierarchy. His role will involve working closely with players, particularly batters, as England build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. For Root, however, Pietersen’s ability to mentor younger players is nothing new. The England great recalled his maiden tour of India in 2012-13, when he was still an uncapped 21-year-old trying to learn from some of the most accomplished players around him.
“I enjoyed him as a senior player coming into the team. He was someone that I would spend, you know, I’d be shadowing all the time on that first tour of India in particular,” Root said in an interaction with the media. “I’d try and bat with him in the nets, watch how he practised, watch how he did things, ask him for advice. And he was really open, really honest, very helpful in terms of how to get the best out of my game against spin.”
That India tour eventually became one of the defining chapters of both players’ careers. Pietersen produced a spectacular 186 in Mumbai as England recovered from losing the opening Test to claim a historic 2-1 series victory, while Root made his Test debut in the final match at Nagpur and scored a patient 73 in the first innings. Root has spoken previously about how watching senior batters such as Pietersen helped shape his understanding of playing spin. Fourteen years later, England are now formally asking Pietersen to pass that knowledge on to another generation. “If he can offer that kind of stuff in a coaching capacity as he did as a senior player, then I think it’s really going to benefit us as a group,” Root said. “So I’m really excited to work with him.”
Root backs Pietersen’s outspoken approach
Pietersen’s appointment inevitably comes with intrigue because of the turbulent nature of his own England career. He was one of the side’s most destructive batters but was also frequently involved in controversies, and his international career was effectively brought to an end following England’s 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia in 2013-14.
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Pietersen has remained an outspoken voice on English cricket since retirement, often offering forthright opinions on players, tactics and the direction of the national teams. Root, though, believes that willingness to speak openly could be an asset rather than a problem in his new role. “Yeah, I think you want people to give their honest opinion,” Root said when asked about Pietersen’s reputation as a controversial figure. “Why would you get involved if you didn’t want them to give us insight into the game? He’s very knowledgeable, you know, very good understanding of batting in particular. And he’s got a huge amount of energy. So I think he’s going to be great for the group.”
For Pietersen, the appointment represents an unlikely return to an England environment he once departed under deeply acrimonious circumstances. For Root, though, it is much simpler: he has already experienced first-hand what Pietersen can offer a young batter trying to understand his game, and believes England’s current players can now benefit from the same experience.