Kevin Pietersen has insisted England won't get carried away by their recent success in Australia when the World Cup proper gets under way next week.

South Africa-born Pietersen, who is in his first World Cup, missed England's remarkable revival in Australia - that saw them beat the reigning world champions 2-0 in the tri-series final - after breaking a rib facing veteran Aussie quick Glenn McGrath in a one-day international at Melbourne in January.

But the hard-hitting Hampshire batsman, speaking at England's team hotel here Wednesday, stressed he and his team-mates weren't getting ahead of themselves.

"Confidence and caution go hand in hand," he said. "The confidence is there. But we are now playing against every single nation and we are going to have to be as hot as anything.

Pietersen is set to face Australia once again in the teams' second and final warm-up match here Friday, having eased fears regarding his fitness by scoring 43 in Monday's 241-run thrashing of minnows Bermuda.

"I batted for about 45 minutes to an hour against Bermuda and I felt fine - there were no restrictions at all," said Pietersen. "I was diving around in the field, I've been bowling in the nets and I've been batting without any discomfort at all so I'm raring to go."

Pietersen is one of the most dynamic, flamboyant batsmen in world cricket today. But there have been widespread predictions of low and slow wickets which could make life difficult for hard-hitting shotmakers.

But England's No 4 was adamant he had the capacity to change his game according to the conditions.

"I've had to adapt before and I can do it again. I had to adapt to the sub-continent and I've had to do it on occasions in Australia and I've had to nudge and nurdle for hours at a time on occasion.

"It's one of those things that has to be done and it's one of those things that will be done because you have to play the situation."

In the meantime Pietersen was revelling in being amongst a revitalised England squad having been a member of the side thrashed 5-0 in the Ashes by Australia.

"I was out in Australia for nine weeks and we didn't come close to winning a game," he recalled.

"The morale wasn't fantastic and there wasn't much banter around the dressing room when we were getting hammered like we were.

"To watch the boys out in Australia come back from where they were to win the competition was fantastic."

Pietersen and the rest of the England squad will be joined in St Lucia, where they play their group matches, by Jeremy Snape.

The 33-year-old Leicestershire captain, who won 10 England one-day caps as an off-spinner between 2001 and 2002, is also a sports psychologist.

He has been added to England coaching staff and will work with the squad's slow bowlers. Snape is already in the Caribbean where he has been working with world cricket's associate or junior nations.

"We feel that Jeremy's extensive experience of the one-day game, his ability to work with the spinners and his understanding of sports psychology will enable him to make an important contribution to our preparations," said England coach Duncan Fletcher.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)