India, Sept. 14 -- Brendon McCullum, the England white-ball coach, confirmed on Monday that it was his idea to bring Kevin Pietersen on board as a mentor in the backroom staff until the ODI World Cup. Last week, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that the legendary batter would join the setup for both ODIs and T20Is leading into the World Cup, set to be played in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Ever since Pietersen's appointment, cricket fans all over the world have been wondering how the dynamic between him and McCullum would play out. In 2025, the former England batter minced no words as he criticised the England head coach and how the team was under-prepared for the ODIs against India ahead of the Champions Trophy...