Kevin Pietersen believes England are finally playing without an inhibiting fear of failure and can, after a wretched start, go on to win the World Twenty20
Kevin Pietersen believes England are finally playing without an inhibiting fear of failure and can, after a wretched start, go on to win the World Twenty20.
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No England side has ever won a major global one-day competition and few would have given much for their chances following a shock four-wicket loss to the Netherlands in the tournament opener at Lord's.
All the old English failings in one-day cricket were on show against the Dutch - a lack of power hitting and unconventional bowling among them - while it was the minnows who gave their professional hosts a lesson in fielding and running between the wickets.
But the return from an Achilles injury of Pietersen, whose South African upbringing may explain why the diffidence which can affect some of his England colleagues has no place in his mentality, helped inspire the team to a 48-run victory over Pakistan at the Oval on Sunday.
So convincing was their winning margin, with Pietersen top-scoring with 58, that England, despite their Dutch debacle, booked their place in the second phase Super Eights regardless of the final Group B match between Pakistan and the Netherlands at Lord's on Tuesday.
The African influence within the England dressing room is not just restricted to Pietersen now that former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower is the team coach.
"I spoke to Andy Flower before the game about bringing calmness into the dressing room and it was really calm, it was really positive and we talked about not thinking too hard about the consequences and results of that game," former England captain Pietersen said Monday.
"We just wanted to go out and play cricket like we'd played over the last two or three months and the guys really turned it on.
"It was a huge game because Pakistan are a fantastic cricket team with good spin bowlers and destructive batsmen and I think our boys showed we're a force to be reckoned with."
Pietersen admitted: "In the England teams I've played in for a quite a while there have been players who have played with fear, players who think about consequences and what's been written in the media and think about what guys say in the press box.
"I think the guys went out against Pakistan to put in a performance where they were not worried about what happens. We went out to play positive cricket like we have been playing and it was outstanding."
But the worry for England is that Pietersen's injury is not yet fully healed and may only cease to be an issue after several months' rest.
Pietersen's fitness isn't just central to their hopes of winning the World Twenty20 but also their prospects in the Ashes Test series against Australia that starts in July.
Then comes a one-day series with Australia followed by the Champions Trophy and a tour of South Africa.
And, whatever the opinion of England's medical staff, Pietersen is determined not to sit out any more games. "What cures it is two or three months out of the game and that ain't happening - I'm not missing that.
"I didn't want to miss Friday and I certainly wasn't going to miss the game against Pakistan.
"I was going to play in that even if I was only 50 percent fit because I want to play for England and I didn't want us to get knocked out of the tournament."
He added: "I've played with injuries, I've played with broken ribs and the lot and it's a case of managing what you've got and trying to make sure it doesn't flare up."
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