KEVIN PIETERSEN EXCLUSIVE
Straussy will get my 100 per cent backing
KEVIN PIETERSEN looked back on a devastating week for English cricket and vowed: "I'm not finished as England skipper."
The swashbuckling superstar had an immediate impact when he took the reins from Michael Vaughan last August, inspiring the side to Test victory against South Africa.
But after a tough tour to India, KP's plans to lead England to an Ashes triumph this summer hit the buffers on Wednesday when he relinquished his post.
And he declared: "I feel I've got unfinished business as the captain of England. I definitely feel that.
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"But right now, I feel it is right for me to go back and just play - to do something that I totally, totally love, which is scoring runs and more runs for England."
KP will board England's plane to the Caribbean with his head held high and look each and every one of his team-mates in the eye.
The fiasco that has engulfed English cricket in the last 10 days has left the ultra-confident Pietersen hurt and the ECB looking like actors in a Carry On movie.
Nightmare
But England's top gun will put the comical episode behind him, chuck his weight behind new captain Andrew Strauss and keep piling on the runs.
After a nightmare eight days having his name dragged through the mud, KP lost his job while on holiday but is in no mood for hiding from his international colleagues.
He said: "I'm very, very upset because I have seen what people have said and those headlines saying you are the most hated man in world cricket. Man, that kills.
"Family are only interested in you and they gave me all the support - the only person who was missing was my wife, Jessica, because she had to fly back on Sunday to do the Dancing on Ice show.
"I was with my mum and dad and my brother and his kids. Actually, it couldn't have happened in a better place.
"Jess only cares for me and she's a loving, caring person and we were just hurt - we both hurt. It has affected my fanily and close friends and that's the thing that kills me.
"She's just as distraught as I am. Yes, it's emotional, I'm sad and I'm upset but I'm not going to cry about it.
"She's my wife and it has been a huge, huge thing for me and my family. It is monumental. It has gone worldwide, it is a huge thing."
Pietersen has hit for six reports of rifts with senior players when he was skipper but admits he confided in stars such as Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison on the recent tour to India.
And he has smashed suggestions he will be a bad influence after being ruthlessly dumped ahead of an Ashes summer.
Pietersen said: "I've got zero problem with walking back into that dressing- room. I can look anybody in the eye.
"I'm not a problem in the dressing- room. I can work with anybody in that team. I will be 100 per cent supportive of whatever goes on.
"I will jump back into that dressing room and support Andrew Strauss 100 per cent.
"I am a man of principle that if I feel something is right then I will do it and am man enough to accept when I have made a mistake. If I had made a mistake I would apologise.
"I know the media will try and divide things but I've got my personal relationship with people.
Perfect
"Straussy and Paul Collingwood knew that I was having a really tough time and then I explained to Harmy and I explained to Freddie Flintoff the day before we left.
"I said how hard a time I was having and how I was in a real bad place in terms of captaining England going forward."
Strauss takes over the poisoned chalice becoming England's third Test captain in under a year and the best of British to him considering the bungling of the last few months.
But KP has already been on the blower offering his support ahead of a momentous summer. Pietersen added: "I spoke to Straussy as I was walking on to the plane at Johannesburg and we had a great conversation about how if he needs me for anything I will be there for him.
"He knows that I'll be there for him - the same as I was the last time he was captain.
"I spoke to him again on Thursday and everything is perfect. I texted him and we are going to go and hit balls together next week."
Pietersen's reign lasted just three Tests and 186 days - and he never captained a senior side at county level so will not be ramming hints down Strauss' throat.
He added: "I haven't done it for long enough so I don't think I warrant speaking as a man of experience in the captaincy ranks. I will give my advice to Straussy on a mate's level.
"If I am asked by him or he wants me to do something then I will do it. I am in the team as a team player."
England face a huge nine months with home and away series against the West Indies, hosting the Twenty20 World Cup before trying to wrest the Ashes off the Aussies.
Laughably some commentators have called for KP - England's best batsman by a mile - to be left out of the tour of the West Indies.
But the bad news for bowlers all over the world is that Pietersen plans to bat on and on and on.
He said: "The ECB asked me about my availability and I was like 'excuse me?' I thought it was a threat against me but I said I will be 100 per cent committed to winning games of cricket for England.
Career
"I am 28 years old and I hope I can still play for England for another seven years.
"I am committed to England for the next however long, until I retire because I can't see a cricket ball any more from 22 yards.
"I am 100 per cent behind the skipper and committed to winning games of cricket and that is one of the reasons why I did what I did - because I couldn't take the team to winning, winning, winning.
"I will get up every day and I'll smile and do whatever I can to win games of cricket for England.
"And I know that when I look back on my career I will have done everything to do the best I can for English cricket."
This article has 5 comments
He's done the best thing he could. As with all things English we spend more time moaning about a situation rather than taking any sort of action. The best thing he could do is move on and he has done it for the benefit of the team.
By Adam. Posted January 11 2009 at 10:31 PM.
Ammie, that's a good point well made. self centredness has no place in teamwork. England need to go on a team building day where they can bond themselves into a caring, sharing bunch. Pieterson should be allowed into the squad as long as he promises to carry the jockstraps
By Sven . Posted January 11 2009 at 6:58 PM.
I am sorry to see the going of Pieterson in this fashion, but if it means we shall be spared the sight of the England team sitting in the pavilion wearing sleeveless vests showing tattooes and hairy underarms at every goos shot then for me it will be a sacrifice worth having
By denis sayers. Posted January 11 2009 at 11:16 AM.
Ammie, this man has been working for a dream and backing it with extraordinary talent and yes..the necerssary attitude to be a winner!! But we dont like that in England, do we...we like to be nice boys with average talent and leadership!! In other words losers!! He has put himself, his talent and his honesty on the world stage and will be remembered for all time...how about you?
By Ian. Posted January 11 2009 at 11:12 AM.
What a ego freak- acting like he is innocent. I stand by my point on 606 that he is not that good as the media made him out to be. He is a former white sa brat who thinks he is god's gift to this earth. Its very easy to be a star in the england team!!! Get rid of him- built a team as england has so much talnt
By Ammie. Posted January 11 2009 at 6:27 AM.