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Kevin Pietersen claims new ECB head has given him England ‘clean slate’ Kevin Pietersen claims new ECB head has given him ‘clean slate’ for England
(about 1 hour later)
Kevin Pietersen claims the incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, Colin Graves, has told him he wants the best players available for international selection and there will be a clean slate for all in the future.Kevin Pietersen claims the incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, Colin Graves, has told him he wants the best players available for international selection and there will be a clean slate for all in the future.
The 34-year-old batsman had just scored 170 from 149 balls for Surrey against Oxford MCCU – his first century since August 2013 in his first red-ball match for 15 months – when he gave details of his telephone conversations with Graves at the start of last month.The 34-year-old batsman had just scored 170 from 149 balls for Surrey against Oxford MCCU – his first century since August 2013 in his first red-ball match for 15 months – when he gave details of his telephone conversations with Graves at the start of last month.
“To be honest, he just said to me he wants his best players playing for England and it’s a clean slate,” said Pietersen, who had his central contract cancelled in February last year.“To be honest, he just said to me he wants his best players playing for England and it’s a clean slate,” said Pietersen, who had his central contract cancelled in February last year.
“I haven’t met the ECB yet. No doubt that meeting will come pretty soon. Right now it’s just hit the red ball, hit it for a while, hit it like I did today, and that will be enough talking.”“I haven’t met the ECB yet. No doubt that meeting will come pretty soon. Right now it’s just hit the red ball, hit it for a while, hit it like I did today, and that will be enough talking.”
Pietersen was due to meet Graves face to face after returning from working as a pundit at last month’s World Cup but knows runs for Surrey will ultimately be what he is judged on. “I’m not sure I need to sit around a table and speak to people,” he added. “But I’d love to find out the direction, because I really think I can help England.Pietersen was due to meet Graves face to face after returning from working as a pundit at last month’s World Cup but knows runs for Surrey will ultimately be what he is judged on. “I’m not sure I need to sit around a table and speak to people,” he added. “But I’d love to find out the direction, because I really think I can help England.
“It was obviously a lot of pressure coming into today’s game, purely on the fact there’s a bit of a circus and it’s my first game playing red-ball cricket. I just want a big summer of batting, a big summer of hopefully scoring a lot of runs.”“It was obviously a lot of pressure coming into today’s game, purely on the fact there’s a bit of a circus and it’s my first game playing red-ball cricket. I just want a big summer of batting, a big summer of hopefully scoring a lot of runs.”
While a century on the eve of England’s first Test against West Indies in Antigua comes with the caveat of being against students, Pietersen claims he is back to his best following a rejuvenation of sorts while playing for Melbourne Stars in last winter’s Big Bash League in Australia, where he finished second-highest runscorer.While a century on the eve of England’s first Test against West Indies in Antigua comes with the caveat of being against students, Pietersen claims he is back to his best following a rejuvenation of sorts while playing for Melbourne Stars in last winter’s Big Bash League in Australia, where he finished second-highest runscorer.
“In Australia I was batting as well as I have in my career and it’s a good start against the red ball,” he said. “It was a huge day for me. The last few weeks have been incredible for me. To be given a lifeline, if I can call it that, for me it’s an opportunity to try and get back to doing something that I love and that was taken away from prematurely.“In Australia I was batting as well as I have in my career and it’s a good start against the red ball,” he said. “It was a huge day for me. The last few weeks have been incredible for me. To be given a lifeline, if I can call it that, for me it’s an opportunity to try and get back to doing something that I love and that was taken away from prematurely.
“All I want to do it score runs and warrant selection. If I don’t, then I don’t. This week was important. I brought a game plan and it worked for me. I’m not here to deliver messages, I’m here to churn out runs.“All I want to do it score runs and warrant selection. If I don’t, then I don’t. This week was important. I brought a game plan and it worked for me. I’m not here to deliver messages, I’m here to churn out runs.
“It’s hard to say to have to prove to people when I’ve got as many runs in international cricket as I have, but I want to get out there, score runs and get my England position back.”“It’s hard to say to have to prove to people when I’ve got as many runs in international cricket as I have, but I want to get out there, score runs and get my England position back.”