Kevin Pietersen has joined the England coaching ranks as a mentor ahead of the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next autumn. The move was surprising to most observers, including ex-England player Tom Finn, who shared his memories of sharing a dressing room with Pietersen at the start of his international career.
Finn says Pietersen’s blunt honesty is exactly what the current team needs. “Dressing rooms need that in order to function properly,” he writes. “They can’t be an echo chamber.”
The Last Meeting at Lord’s
Finn recalls Pietersen’s last known interaction with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He was told he wouldn’t play for England again in 2014. “The success of his YouTube channel, The Switch, and the time it takes to commit to something like that made it seem inconceivable that it could work,” he writes.
The timing of the announcement caught many off guard. Pietersen had built a public profile outside cricket, and his schedule suggested he was committed elsewhere.
What the Nets Were Like
Finn remembers Pietersen’s practice routine as intense and purposeful. “His practice was always intense and with purpose,” he writes. “Usually, he would come up to me as he was walking into the net and say he was going to smash me everywhere and not get out.”
That competitiveness rubbed off on the bowlers around him. “That would usually rile me up to try to bowl quicker in order to not let him have it his way,” Finn says. “He wanted to make sure the practice had that bit more on it, something that is important when steeling your mind and reactions to go out and play at the highest level.”
Finn enjoyed the battles in the nets. “I used to enjoy the battles in the nets and it made me a better bowler by having competitive nets against one of the best players in the world.”
The Fielding Arguments
Pietersen was never shy about airing his views in the dressing room. Finn recalls an instance of dissent towards a fitness fielding session in the build-up to the 2014 Sydney Test match. “Kevin was never shy of letting the dressing room know his thoughts when debriefing a match, or when discussing the team’s approach,” he writes.
Some may argue that bringing a challenging voice into an environment that is clearly working could be disruptive. Finn disagrees. “However, I believe McCullum has learned from the way the Test team turned a corner as soon as everything seemed in order,” he writes.
Practice in Sri Lanka
In 2012, Pietersen arrived early for training in Colombo during the Sri Lanka tour. “Kev had already been there for an hour facing local left-arm spin bowlers in order to try to correct his technique (ironically overseen by Andy Flower),” Finn recalls.
The hard work paid off. Pietersen scored 151 against Rangana Herath in the second Test, hitting him to all parts. Later that year, his runs in Mumbai formed the bedrock of a historic red-ball series victory against India.
Helping the Younger Players
Pietersen’s influence went beyond his own game. During the 2013-14 Ashes in Perth, when Mitchell Johnson was running amok, Finn remembers the tailenders looking shellshocked at the prospect of facing him. “KP coming over to me (even though I wasn’t in the starting XI), and saying ‘let’s go practice facing the short ball in the nets’,” Finn writes.
“He threw bouncers at my head and helped me figure out a technique to be able to play (mainly evade) the short-pitched bowling.” Finn doesn’t know whether Pietersen just wanted to get out of the dressing room, but he believes the experience helped him.
The Modern Balance
Pietersen’s era was defined by hard work and playing Test cricket. “Where you needed to work hard on a fundamental technique in order to firstly survive, but then to build and expand upon to be good at other formats,” Finn writes.
The balance has shifted since then. Players now globetrot and play franchise tournaments. “In my eyes the 50-over format is now closer to the pace of modern Test cricket than T20 cricket,” Finn argues. “Helping players with the fundamentals, married up with a strong work ethic can only be a good thing when looking to excel in the format, especially in conditions where there will be passages where the bowlers may be on top.”
Unfiltered for 14 Months
Finn believes Pietersen’s return as mentor will keep the team sharp. “There is no better time to introduce a voice of challenge than now,” he writes. “As it means that the team will not be able to simply maraud on as they have been without checks and balances.”
Pietersen will provide this, unfiltered.
Key Facts Box
- Pietersen joins England as a mentor ahead of the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next autumn
- His last known interaction with the ECB was being told he wouldn’t play for England again in 2014
- He scored 151 against Rangana Herath in the second Test in Sri Lanka in 2012
- His runs in Mumbai formed the bedrock of a historic red-ball series victory against India
- The World Cup is set for next autumn in South Africa
Finn’s argument is simple: Pietersen’s blunt honesty kept dressing rooms functioning properly, and the current team needs that now more than ever. The challenge is real, and it arrives unfiltered.
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