Kevin Pietersen will be hard to replace, says Alastair Cook – Cricket News Update
The ODI captain of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026, has admitted that it will be hard to find a fitting replacement for the hard-hitting Kevin Pietersen, who last week announced retirement from international limited overs cricket.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806’s announcement to call it a day on one-day and T20 formats of International cricket came as shock for not only his fans but also for the England and Wales management as well as his teammates and skipper.
"I will admit the decision was a shock to all of us and clearly, as one-day captain, it was disappointing for me,” Cook wrote in his Metro column.
Lavishing praise on KP’s contribution to English cricket in the one-day format of the game, Cook admitted that the 31-year-old Natal-born hard hitting top-order batsman will be hard to replace.
"He will be hard to replace, no doubt, as he was outstanding in our last series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the UAE earlier this year, where he hit back-to-back centuries,” said Cook, the 27-year-old Gloucester-born left-handed opener.
The one-day captain of England was referring to the four-match One Day International series against Pakistan, which the Poms won 4-0, despite coming into the series at the back of a humiliating, unprecedented 0-3 Test series whitewash
at the hands of same Pakistan opposition.
Pietersen was the key contributor in that series victory over the Men in Green. With a tally of 281 runs from four innings at an astounding average of 93.66, KP was the second highest run getter of the series, just behind skipper Alastair
Cook.
The Gloucester-born cricketer admitted that as an ODI skipper, losing one of his winning horses is quite frustrating for him, he however hoped that his retirement would provide youngsters a chance to claim the spot and adjust themselves
in the team before the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Cricket World Cup 2015.
"...it's frustrating he'll no longer be available in one-day cricket, but after speaking to him this week in Birmingham I understand his reasons and his absence will give others the opportunity to stake a claim,” the left hander hoped.
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