ICC World Cup, 2011: Kevin Pietersen looking forward to opening role for England
England batsman Kevin Pietersen has stated that he is happy about his brand new role of opener in the team during the ICC World Cup, 2011.
The right-handed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 born batsman was tried at the top of the innings in the first warm-up match for the POMS in Fatullah, against Canada. The English team won the match but had to toil really hard as the Canadian team came
with-in 16 runs of scoring an upset win over their fancied rivals.
Pietersen was dismissed early on in the encounter, with England struggling to cope with a docile track that made run-scoring difficult. However, thanks to the efforts by Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior, the three time finalists reached
a competitive total of 243.
After the match, Pieterson spoke with excitement about his new role and thinks that he can make a real difference while batting at the top of the order.
“It's really exciting - a nice positive move going into the World Cup,” Pietersen told reporters in Fatullah. “We spoke about it going into the end of the Australia tour. We feel at the top of the innings is a really nice time to bat.
I'm excited by it; the team is excited by it - and I'm looking forward to it.”
The prolific run maker, who is one of the star attractions in the 14-team tournament, has little experience of batting at the top of the order. In the recent One Day International series against Australia he batted at No. 4, a position
he is accustomed to.
In that series wicket-keeper Matt Prior was sent to open the innings. Prior failed in most of the games starting the series with a pair of ducks, and scored a half century in just one of the games.
With Pieterson now opening the innings, Prior will bat down the order at No.6: a move that paid off in the warm-up game. The wicket-keeper batted with great determination against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 and it was his innings that brought his team
back in the game after they were searching for runs with the top order dismissed cheaply.
Pietersen meanwhile clarified that he won’t be aiming for a brutal assault at the top of the innings, but look to play his ‘normal game’.
“It's not a pinch-hitting role. It was put to me, and I was very excited - and the team is right behind the decision. I'm fine. It could be nice, especially in the sub-continent.”
The England team is being tipped by many to reach at least the semi-final stage of the mega tournament.
They have failed to move beyond the semi-final stage since the 1992 edition of the World Cup in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the final at Melbourne.
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