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| November 08, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 15, 1427 |
No reason for Ashes enmity: Pietersen
SYDNEY, Nov 7: England batsman Kevin Pietersen says his close friendship with Australian Ashes nemesis Shane Warne doesn't do him much good at the crease.
Pietersen is good mates with the champion Australian leg-spinner but even though some former Australian Test players frown on them being too 'pally' with each other, he says the friendship doesn't work to his advantage.
“I think he wants to get me out more than somebody else, so he can rib me,” Pietersen said on Tuesday.
“I don't think it works to my advantage, because he crosses that white line and I cross the white line and we're out there playing for our countries and making sure that we go out there and do the best jobs we can.
“He really goes hard at me and does try to get me out as hard as I try to keep him from getting me out and to see if I can score off him.”
Pietersen, now taking on more responsibility batting at No 4 in the England order, had some cracking battles with Test cricket's leading wicket-taker in last year's memorable Ashes series in England.
The South African-born dasher finished England's leading scorer with 473 runs, crowned by his defining 158 in the final drawn Test at The Oval as England clinched the series and the Ashes after Australia had held them for 16 years.
Warne claimed Pietersen's wicket three times in the last series on the way to capturing 40 wickets in the five-Test campaign.
Pietersen, who plays for Hampshire, skippered by Warne in last season's English County championship, said he sees no reason why both sets of players should not have a drink together after each day's play and enjoy each other's company during this series.“If you look at the way the last series was played one of the biggest highlights of the series was when Fred (Flintoff) shook Brett Lee's hand in Birmingham and the whole media took note of that and the way the series was played was fantastic,” he said.
“That's how sport should be played as tough as it is and mentally draining as it was on the field from nine in the morning to 6 o'clock that night and then as human beings you could have a drink afterwards and chat and you can be friends.
“In the end I play this game to enjoy it, to challenge myself and to play this game to make friends.
“It's fantastic to know that I can ring up a bloke like Shane Warne after a day's play and say 'how do you do this' and 'how do you do that?', speak to the bloke, he's a legend and there a lot of players who learn from a lot of players.
“I don't see any reason why anybody should be fighting and shouting and arguing and complaining and going at each other on and off the field.”
Since his engagement to singer Jessica Taylor, Pietersen, 26, said he was a much more settled person and cricketer.
“I'm a lot more at ease with everything and enjoying my cricket,” he said.
“The 180 degree swing basically made me appreciate a lot of things and made me realise a lot of things and I have definitely changed and become a lot better person off the field.”—AFP
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