| Player: | KP Pietersen |
| Event: | Australia in British Isles 2009 |
DateLine: 26th June 2009
England star batsman Kevin Pietersen is expecting to enter Ashes fully fit. He has made encouraging progress in his fight with the Achilles injury.
The problem has troubled the right-hander since England were on tour to the Caribbean this winter. The injury has since then forced him to miss matches against the West Indies and in the World Twenty20.
Fears had emerged earlier that the injury might force him to sit out for a significant part of Ashes but the former England captain today delivered a positive update on his rehabilitation.
"My Achilles is okay. I have tried to make sure that I won't go into the Ashes series injured," he said.
"I have seen too many players going into big series injured and come out the other end worse.
"You don't want to go into the series injured, especially against Australia.
"I've made sure my rehab programme has been done really well. I have been as professional as I can be on this programme.
"I am doing everything I can pain-free. The only thing I haven't been able to do is road run and that is something we will talk about in the next few days."
"I'm waking up every single morning now absolutely fine and able to do all my exercises and routines and drills pain-free.
"I am skipping for minutes now but three weeks ago, on the morning of the Netherlands game, I couldn't get down the stairs at my house.
"The improvements have been huge and from the mental side of things that is important."