Strauss Backs KP Against Pakistan
England captain, Andy Strauss, is backing Kevin Pietersen to do well against Pakistan later this summer.
Pietersen romped back to form during the World Twenty20 competition, which England went on to win. He continued this form against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the one series that England also won.
Pietersen is England's best attacking player and one of the only players in the current side who carries a real presence on a cricket field. There have been a few rumours floating around that Pakistan are going to target the South African born Englishman but Strauss does not think it will be a problem.
Pakistan have not played well in Test cricket against Australia so far this summer and they will be looking to bounce back against England. There is no doubt over the number of positives that Pietersen brings to the table but it's important he keeps a level head for the rest of the summer.
Importance
Pietersen is important to England's cause for a number of reasons. The most important one is that he is the only player in the England team who can change the face of a game within the space of a few overs.
He now has a much deeper experience, which is something he did not possess when he was first in the England team. He has played extensively for England all over the world and for a club side in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. This means he will now know better than anyone else how to stay in form now that he has it back.
Strauss said: "Kevin has just turned 30 but he has got a lot of cricket left in him. He has had a tough time, there is no doubt about that. He has not scored as many runs as he has done in the past. But he is a high-quality cricketer and he will come back and play match-winning innings for us."
Target
The real test for Pietersen is how he reacts in the test arena. He has not scored a hundred for England in a test match for a long time and it's important that he can translate his good form from the one-day version of the game.
Pakistan are going to target him because they know how good he is as a player. This means that bowlers will try and verbally unsettle him and other members of the Pakistan set-up may talk about him off of the field. It's important for England's success that he can handle this in the right manner.
Strauss added: "He has had a bit of a break and that has been well received. A new addition to the family changes your priorities a bit and you need to get your life in order. I think he will come out and play really well against Pakistan. Kevin wants to be a great cricketer and he knows the way to do that is by scoring runs consistently."
Advice
Pietersen is always a candidate to score a blinding hundred or to perform in important matches regardless of his recent form. Remember that he has not scored a century for England in test cricket for a long time and he could well score one against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. Don't be afraid to back him to do so.
England are one of the most in form teams in cricket at the moment and they are rightly favourites to beat Pakistan. They must do so emphatically if they want to go to Australia this winter with an air of intimidation around them. Don't be afraid to back them this summer and winter.
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