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England are different from the team Pietersen left, says Root

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Joe Root says England are in a very different place from the team Kevin Pietersen left after the 2013-14 Ashes tour.
  • Pietersen will mentor England’s white-ball side ahead of the 2027 World Cup and will join Brendon McCullum’s staff for the series against Sri Lanka.
  • Root praised Pietersen’s experience and recalled the support he received from him early in his England career.

Joe Root believes Kevin Pietersen is returning to an England team that bears little resemblance to the one he left in 2014. Pietersen has joined the white-ball coaching staff as a mentor ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, where he was born.

Root is the only current England Test player who played alongside Pietersen. He was also part of the Ashes tour of 2013-14 that preceded the end of Pietersen’s international career. “The world is a very different place to what it was in 2014, and the England team is in a very different place to that as well,” Root told BBC Sport.

The world is a very different place to what it was in 2014, and the England team is in a very different place to that as well.

· Joe RootRoot explained why he believes Pietersen can return to England’s setup despite the tensions surrounding his departure.

Pietersen remains one of England’s most prolific international batters, with only Root and Alastair Cook having scored more than his 13,779 runs for the team. His innovative strokeplay was considered ahead of its time and closely resembles the aggressive batting now common in white-ball cricket.

With his experience and knowledge about the game, and all that he can offer, I think he's going to be great.

· Joe RootRoot praised Pietersen’s contribution as he prepares to join the white-ball coaching staff.

His return also revives memories of a complicated England career. Pietersen was dropped in 2012 after allegations that he sent derogatory text messages about then-captain Andrew Strauss to South Africa players. He returned under Strauss’ successor, Alastair Cook, but was dropped again after England’s 5-0 Ashes defeat. In 2015, Strauss said Pietersen would not be recalled because of a “trust issue”.

Root said Pietersen’s outspoken nature could benefit the current group. He recalled how Pietersen helped him as a young player, listening to his questions and working to make him comfortable with his game. “With his experience and knowledge about the game, and all that he can offer, I think he’s going to be great,” Root said.

He didn't need to offer as much as he did to me, but he would sit there and work tirelessly, making sure I felt comfortable with my own game.

· Joe RootRoot recalled the support Pietersen gave him when he was a young England player.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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