McCullum hands Pietersen England batting debrief after Perth defeat

Brendon McCullum has asked Kevin Pietersen to lead England's batting debrief after they were dismissed for 131 in a seven-wicket defeat by Australia in Perth on Friday. According to the Guardian, England's white-ball head coach wants the specialist mentor to help the players address their response to the surface before Pietersen leaves the tour after Sunday's second one-day international in Adelaide.

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Speaking to TNT Sports, McCullum said England had discussed the pitch extensively before the match but had not adjusted quickly enough once batting. He singled out attempts to drive on the rise as an unsuitable response to the bounce. His assessment was that the players needed to compete more stubbornly and change their approach when conditions made their preferred shots difficult to execute.

McCullum linked those shortcomings to England's preparations for next year's 50-over World Cup in southern Africa, where he expects some surfaces to present a similar challenge. He said Pietersen's feedback would combine a calm approach with firm messages about decision-making. The former England batter was hired as a specialist mentor during the summer, and McCullum said his role was to help the players translate their ability into international performances.

Pietersen is due to travel to India on Monday to speak at a YouTube conference, the Guardian reported. Although he had originally intended to return for the Twenty20 portion of the Australia tour, his next England assignment is now expected to be the one-day internationals in South Africa in January. That timetable remains an expectation rather than a confirmed return date.

The Perth loss extended a difficult start to England's winter following summer series victories over India and Sri Lanka. In their recent tri-series in Pakistan, England suffered four defeats and recorded only one victory, in a match that no longer affected qualification.

Captain Harry Brook also defended selecting Liam Dawson ahead of Adil Rashid. Brook said the anticipated help for seam bowling, together with Dawson's batting, had informed the decision. Rashid is England's second-highest ODI wicket-taker, but Brook maintained that the choice was based on conditions, as it had been in Pakistan. Dawson did not bowl in the Perth match.