London, May 13 (ANI): Skipper Paul Collingwood has said that Kevin Pietersen, who arrived back in the Caribbean after becoming a father, is crucial for England’s chances of winning their first cricket World Cup after 35 years of trying.
Pietersen landed last night and will regain his place at No.3 in the World Twenty20semi-final with Sri Lanka today. Pietersen”s wife Jessica Taylor gave birth to their first baby, a boy, on Sunday.
Collingwood insisted Pietersen will rejoin a squad oozing with confidence, excitement and talent, The Sun reports.
“I’m sure KP will be happy and raring to go. Fatigue shouldn’t be an issue and he will be in a great state of mind. He won’t have a formal practice, but I’m sure he will have a few hits,” the England skipper said.
‘There is nothing technical he needs to change and I’m sure his mind will be 100 per cent right. KP is very important. He played two man-of-the- match innings before he went home and looks back to his best,” Collingwood said.
England won all three of their Super Eights matches against Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand.
“Captaining England in a world semi-final, that’s brilliant. I had a real sense when we turned up with this squad that we could do well. We’ve made some selections that have really come good,” Collingwood said.
“I think there was a real belief in the squad at the start of the tournament and now there is a lot of excitement. Sometimes, when you get to these situations, you sense some nerves but that hasn’t been the case. The boys can’t wait to play.
“This is the most powerful England side I”ve played in – definitely. Everybody can hit sixes all the way down to No 10. The bowlers are also thinking for themselves,” added. (ANI)
KP says he won’t stay away from his wife for 11 months ever again
St. Lucia (West Indies), Apr.1 (ANI): England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that he misses his wife Jessica Taylor terribly, and has vowed never to stay away from her for 11 months ever again.
“Everybody in the team wants to go home and see their families, but what happens in two weeks is a totally different kettle of fish. I’m going to spend a week with my wife, and that’s going to be an amazing week, then go back to work. I won’t be without my wife for 11 weeks ever again,” Pietersen told The Sun here.
“It’s not a case of playing cricket for money. There is money attached to it (500,000 dollars for two weeks of his time at the IPL) but it’s an opportunity to improve my game. I’m going to South Africa to learn, and the reason why India have taken cricket to a new level is because IPL has improved so many of their players’ games,” he said.
Overtly strutting and swaggering, Pietersen is inwardly vulnerable and disarmingly keen to be liked.
He has given the impression that playing cricket in the West Indies was all too much and he wanted to go home.
The outspoken comment that launched this flow was: “Maybe I was a little too honest, but where the honesty came from was frustration. The frustration on two parts: the captaincy in the first half of the winter that didn’t go to plan – no victories there. Then coming into the last part also we didn’t get a victory.
“The frustration of not winning a game on the tour so far except for that mathematical error on the West Indies part (in Guyana) – that was hell of a frustration.”
“And it’s the longest time I’ve ever been away from my wife, that’s been playing on me. But what never came out was how desperate I am to win games for England, and me saying I was at the end of my tether last week was not a case of me wanting to leave these shores as everybody said.
I love playing for England, it’s a dream come true playing for England and I realize that every day, with a steep learning curve of being a little too honest. What I learned last week was not to be so honest.” (ANI)