McCullum wants Pietersen to challenge him around ways to improve England cricket

England’s white ball coach Brendon McCullum wants players to adhere to professional standards on and off the field. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

England’s white ball coach Brendon McCullum wants the newly appointed mentor, Kevin Pietersen, to not just focus on specialist skillset but try to encourage improvement across various departments.

Pietersen was appointed last week and joined the coaching staff ahead of the Sri Lanka T20I series, which starts on Tuesday in Southampton. The former England batter will be with the team till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“He’s ‌obviously got an incredible pedigree as a player ‌and ⁠a lot of guys grew up idolising ⁠Kev. He’s brought a ton of energy to the setup within the last 24 hours,” McCullum told reporters on Monday.

“I’ve mentioned ​to him that I ‌don’t want him to be buried in one specific skillset. I want him to look across the environment and challenge me privately around ways we ‌can improve or things we can do differently,” head coach added.

England cricket has been marred by off-field controversies over the last couple of years under McCullum. The latest one came last month when Brydon Carse was dropped off the Test squad against Pakistan after an incident outside a nightclub.

McCullum has now said that players not adhering to professional standards won’t be selected.

“There is a lot of ‌talent around - if you’re not prepared to do that, there ​are other guys who will be given those opportunities,” he added.

“As far as Carsey is ⁠concerned, it’s important for Carsey he gets his house ⁠in order. We know he’s an excellent cricketer who has done well when he’s played ‌for England.”