IND vs ENG: "I'd Have Loved To Play Under Them, I Really Would" - Kevin Pietersen Feels He Would Have Thrived In England's New Era
Published - 14 Jul 2022, 02:41 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:10 AM
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Kevin Pietersen, a former England cricketer, thinks that the management team, led by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, would have been better off with the present strategy. The 42-year-old has a strike rate of 61.72 while playing for England in 104 Tests over the course of a nine-year career.
Joe Root decided to resign as captain, which allowed Ben Stokes to assume control after the team suffered 4-0 defeats in the Ashes and a 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean. England changed the way the game is played as a result of the all-appointment rounders and the arrival of Brendon McCullum as the Test team’s head coach.
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I Love The Way England Are Playing Now: Kevin Pietersen
In a conversation with The Cricketer, Kevin Pietersen branded himself as a fan of “Bazball,” saying:
“I love the way the team are playing now. It’s exciting, it’s positive and I think you’ll see it bring the best out of the players. If I been given the trust the players in this team have been given under the new management, I would have felt free to play as I knew I did at my best. I’d have loved to play under them, I really would.”
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While Pietersen scored 8181 runs in the game’s longest format at a respectable average of 47.29, he thinks he might have scored more if he had played a more upbeat style of cricket.
He said:
“I can only imagine how much happier I would have been, how much better I would have been, playing under this management regime. I would have scored a load more runs. I would have scored so many more runs.”
Kevin Pietersen Express His Willingness To Be Part Of The Bazball
After a disagreement with the team management during the 2013–14 Ashes, the flamboyant player’s career in national colours was prematurely ended. He played franchise cricket for a while before quitting the sport in 2018.
After choosing two distinct coaches for red and white-ball cricket, England decided to take an unconventional strategy. In the longest format, McCullum took over as the team’s coach, with Matthew Mott serving as his assistant.
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Pietersen expressed his willingness to take part in the new era in England by saying:
“There’s a lot of water under the bridge with me and England. But Rob Key is a good buddy. I speak to him and all the other guys. I would be very happy to contribute in any way I can.”
The team captained by Ben Stokes will next be seen hosting South Africa. Three Tests will be played between the two teams as part of the World Test Championship’s all-format tour (WTC).