England Test captain Joe Root believed Kevin Pietersen’s return to the national set-up could prove hugely beneficial to the team, recalling how the former captain helped him improve his game against spin during the early stages of his international career.

Pietersen was appointed specialist mentor of England’s white-ball sides on Monday in the build-up to next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa, and Root is among the few members of the current England set-up to have shared a dressing room with him.

The pair played together during the early stages of Root’s international career, including on England’s tour of India in 2012, when the Yorkshire batsman made his Test debut in Nagpur. Root recalled closely observing Pietersen during that tour and seeking his advice on batting against spin.

“Probably the last player to have played with him still going. I really enjoyed him as a senior player coming into the team. He was someone I would be shadowing all the time. That first tour of India, in particular, I would try and buddy up 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. If he can offer that kind of stuff in a coaching capacity, as he did as a senior player, then I think it is really going to benefit us as a group. Really excited to work with him and get him in the environment,” Root told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's really going to benefit us as a group" 🗣️

Joe Root on the return of Kevin Pietersen to the England fold as a specialist mentor for white-ball teams 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/GMrL55R3ub

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 8, 2026

Pietersen was one of England’s leading batsmen during his nine-year international career and played 104 Tests, 136 ODIs and 37 T20Is. His international career came to an acrimonious end in 2014, but he has remained closely involved with the game through broadcasting and coaching and mentoring roles.

His return also comes after Pietersen had been publicly critical of England on several occasions, including over their preparation. Root, however, believed Pietersen’s willingness to express his views is precisely what could make him valuable within the set-up.

“You want people to give their honest opinion. Why would you get him involved if you didn’t want him to tell you what you think? He’s very knowledgeable. He’s got a very good understanding of batting, in particular, and he’s got a huge amount of energy. I think he is going to be great for the group. I am looking forward to getting him involved,” Root said.

Meanwhile, England head into the final Test against Pakistan amid considerable turmoil in the opposition camp, following a series of changes to their squad and coaching set-up. Root said England were not allowing the developments surrounding Pakistan to distract them from their own preparations.

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“We are just looking after ourselves, to be honest. Trying to get across to the guys that have come into the squad, make sure that they are ready for how they are likely to play, how we can counter that both with bat and ball and look after our own house,” Root said.

“We have had enough to deal with ourselves over the last little while. So just keep preparing well, making sure that we are fresh, ready to go, and we take that confidence forward in the next five days.”