Kevin Petersen has joined the England baseball training team, taking on the role of 'specialist mentor' ahead of the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa.
The former England captain will work with Brendan McCallum's coaching group during upcoming international matches in T20 and one-day formats against Sri Lanka, which are scheduled to take place at home at the end of this month, as well as in subsequent series.
The 50-over format World Cup is planned for October 2027 and will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Petersen, who is currently 46 years old, played for England in 136 ODI matches and 37 T20 matches, scoring over 5500 runs. Additionally, he earned 8181 runs in his 104 Test matches.
His international career ended unsuccessfully after England suffered a complete defeat in the Ashes series in Australia in the 2013/14 season.
Petersen, who previously worked as a mentor for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, stated: 'I am immensely proud that I have been asked to help this team in its pursuit of winning the World Cup in South Africa.' He added: 'Wearing the England shirt again, for the first time since 2014, is a deep honour and a very special moment. We have an incredibly talented squad in the baseball format, and I am excited to dive into the work and tirelessly work with these players to maximize their potential.'
England's head coach for the baseball format, McCallum, noted: 'I have immense respect for KP and what he has achieved in the game. He has had a tremendous impact on English cricket, so it is fantastic that someone with his experience, knowledge, and status wanted to play a role in this team.'
