Kevin Pietersen: England’s flamboyant batsman
Kevin Pietersen is a right-handed English batsman who also serves as a part time off-spinner. He is known for his flamboyant stroke-play and aggressive batting. Pietersen has the tremendous ability to attack the bowlers and make runs at a blistering pace.
Pietersen has shown his best talent since his international debut in 2004, as his destructive batting style and his ability to play a wide variety of shots, make him one of England’s most capable players. His brilliant performance in the 2010 World Twenty20
in the Caribbean proves how important he is to the team, as they lifted the trophy. England will be looking for the same magic from Pietersen, as they take on the world’s top teams in the ICC World Cup 2011.
The player made his first-class debut for Natal in 1997 at the age of 17, before he left for England due to the dissatisfaction over the South African quota system. Pietersen made his One Day International debut against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 in 2004 at Harare. It was
a five-match series where Pietersen played three innings including a run score of 77 not out. Despite his good performance, he was not included in the squad for the South Africa tour. Following the Andrew Flintoff withdrawal from the squad owing to his injury,
Pietersen got lucky and accompanied the England team to South Africa for the seven-match ODI series.
He earned the attention of selectors when he hit 97 off 84 balls in the warm-up match against South Africa A, facing a hostile crowd who criticized him and called him a traitor. Pietersen proved himself as an ace-batsman when he hit 108 for 96 balls and
remained not out in the second ODI. The batsman in his five innings scored 454 runs and was crowned player of the series. After such a marvelous show in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, he earned great respect in the crowd, which once had been hostile to him and he received
a standing ovation in his last century of the series.
Pietersen made his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, where he scored a half century. The player has featured in 71 test matches scoring 5666 runs at an average of 48.42 including 17 centuries and 21 fifties. He last played a test against Australia
in 2011.
The player had also displayed his excellence as he had been the England’s best batsman in the ICC World Cup 2007 for his 444 runs at an average of 55.50 including two centuries and three fifties. For his remarkable efforts, he was ranked as the world number
one ODI batsman in the ICC rankings.
Pietersen will be making his second appearance in the World Cup and it will provide him another chance to inspire his team with some brilliant batting. His recent move to the opening position in England’s batting line-up has proven effective, as his performances
are getting better. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c749 will be looking to Pietersen to get them off to a quick start and maintain his wicket for the longest amount of time. He will have to put in a blistering performance if the team is to have any sort of chance during the tournament.
It will be exciting to see how Pietersen manages to adapt his playing style to the unique and challenging conditions of the Subcontinent, with the low and slow flat pitches.
His ability to take on the bowlers will be invaluable during the tournament. Pietersen will have to work hard and put in some decent batting as the responsibility and hopes of England are riding on his shoulders, as they go for the elusive World Cup trophy.
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