Pietersen warns Australia of reverse swing by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	KP Pietersen
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 30th June 2009

 

England sensational batsman Kevin Pietersen has warned Australia to expect another trial by reverse swing from the English bowling attack this Ashes. The right-handed batsman is sure that the current English pace attack can prove every bit as potent as the 2005 Ashes winners.

 

Pietersen on Monday took umbrage at his old adversary and friend Shane Warne's suggestion that England are close to a "one-man team", who cannot beat Australia without his own batting genius. The batsman though who was one of England's key member of their Ashes winning squad of 2005 said that every member of the current team is capable of troubling Australia and if the current hot weather persists, he sees reverse-swing again becoming the major weapon in this battle.

 

Last time around in England, Australia's great batting line-up was brought down like a pack of cards by the skill and speed of an England attack containing Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones.

 

"I'm sure the Australians are probably hoping that the weather doesn't stay like this - because Anderson, Broad, Flintoff bowling reverse swing ... I wouldn't want to be facing that," said Pietersen.

 

England's last Ashes victory at home in 2005 was built on the premise to stop huge totals being piled up by Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and the rest.

 

"We're going to be really tough to play against," he said.

 

"If batters do conquer our reverse-swing, I look forward to watching them. It will take some serious batting against those bowlers, all at 90mph, reverse-swinging it both ways.

 

"When I saw Anderson doing it at Durham (in last month's second Test) against the West Indies, I said 'how do you face that?'

 

"I know as a batsman, who goes okay against swing bowling, to face that is the biggest test of all."

 

Pietersen is also happy to discount Warne's latest pre-Ashes shot.

 

"He said about me that we're a one-man team - which I don't believe in," he said.

 

"It's a compliment coming from a legend of the game. But England are certainly not a one-man team.

 

"We've got (Andrew) Strauss, who scored so many 100s recently; Alastair Cook has also scored 100s in the

 

last six months; (Paul) Collingwood the same, (Ravi) Bopara three in his last three Test innings.

 

"I've scored a few; Flintoff has come back into the team; Matty Prior's batting has been outstanding.

 

"That's without even talking about our bowlers."

 

Pietersen also said that the absence of retired wicketkeeper-batsman Gilchrist is going to hurt the Kangaroo cause.

 

"The big one that we don't see is Gilchrist coming in at seven," Pietersen said.

 

"In Perth (during England's 2006-07 5-0 Ashes defeat) when he came in and hit one of the quickest 100s in history, that was just demoralising.

 

"That's one of the guys we're very, very happy not to see.

 

"We've got to make sure we capitalise on whatever weaknesses we think they've got."

 

The swashbuckling batsman also opened up about his injuries and said that he is feleling fresh and raring to go.

 

"I'm feeling strong, fresh and ready to play," he said.

 

"I couldn't have been batting any better than in the ICC World Twenty20 - so I hope I can take that form into the series.

 

"I'm a really positive person. So until I actually miss a Test match, I will not start thinking about missing one.

 

"I'm 'rehabbing' every single day. I've been as professional as I can."