Only playing Tests may hurt Kevin Pietersen’s career, says http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362 – Cricket News Update
Andy Flower, the Director of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 cricket team, fears that only playing Test cricket may hurt Kevin Pietersen’s game and admitted that the absence of the right-handed batsman in the limited-overs formats is the team's loss.
The 31-year-old announced his retirement from the shorter versions of international cricket last month but will continue to represent his adopted country in the Test format.
England’s Test captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964, also made such a decision after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and restricted himself to only the longer format of the game.
The former Zimbabwean skipper expressed that since retiring from the shorter formats, Strauss has been struggling in Tests as well because a player can maintain consistency at the ultimate level of the sport only if he keeps playing
competitive cricket. Flower hopes that Pietersen does not go through the cycle.
"Even Andrew Strauss found it difficult with only playing the Test game. Part of our challenges are to constantly work on our unity and harmony. It is a danger that he could become detached but I hope it is not the case," he expressed.
Pietersen is one of the most dangerous batsmen in present-day cricket, who can change a game on its head on a given day. The right-handed batsman also played a massive role in England’s victory in the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 2010 in the West
Indies.
Most of the experts have slammed Pietersen’s decision to retire, especially given that he is still on the right side of thirty and his presence could have increased England’s chances of defending their World T20 title in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758
this year.
The mentor knows that it is the batsman’s personal choice to take decisions about his career but he knows that the void left by Pietersen’s retirement will be hard to fill.
Flower added, "I think it's sad for Kevin that he won't be playing all three forms of the game in international cricket. I'm not annoyed. I think it's quite sad. He's very clear about what he wants to do, so that's his choice. He's
a very fine international cricketer; he makes us stronger when he plays.”
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