England all out for 131 as McCullum calls on Pietersen for guidance

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England dismissed for just 131 in opening ODI in Perth McCullum: ‘KP’s message will be measured but firm’ Brendon McCullum has backed Kevin Pietersen to help educate England’s batting lineup before the “specialist mentor” he hired in the summer leaves the tour of Australia after Sunday’s second one-day international in Adelaide. The collapse to 131 all out for a seven-wicket defeat in Perth on Friday naturally brought back memories of the first Ashes Test 12 months ago. But more relevant is what it means should a similarly fast, bouncy surface – such as at the Wanderers in Johannesburg – be encountered during next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa. McCullum said he would outsource the post-match debrief to Pietersen, before the 46-year-old departs for India on Monday to speak at a YouTube conference. Having originally planned to return for the T20 leg of this tour, Pietersen’s next assignment with England is now expected to be the ODIs in South Africa in January. Continue reading...