Pakistan, Sept. 10 -- England Test captain Joe Root backed Kevin Pietersen's return to the national setup, saying the team was in a very different place from the one the batting great left amid acrimony more than a decade ago.

Pietersen, England's third-highest run-scorer across all formats with 13,779 runs, was appointed specialist mentor to the white-ball teams on Monday as part of preparations for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

Root, who played alongside Pietersen before his England career ended in 2014, said the 46-year-old's experience and knowledge would benefit a squad featuring players who grew up watching him.

"A lot of the guys would have watched him and got into the game because of him. It will be great for those guys t...