Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200808/20080806/article_369498.htm
Pietersen urged to mend his ways
Created: 2008-8-6 1:30:54
KEVIN Pietersen's cricketing friends and foes alike agree that the new England captain is going to have to change his ways to succeed in his new job.
Close friend and fierce rival Shane Warne said the South African-born batsman will need to become "a giver not a taker."
"Kevin Pietersen now stands at a crossroads in his life as well as his career. Being England captain will take up more time than he can imagine and he will need to reconsider his whole outlook," the Australian spinner told the Times of London.
"Within the game worldwide he has a reputation as being an individual, but to be successful a leader must be a giver not a taker - to his team, fringe players, sponsors, the public, everyone."
Warne said he hoped Pietersen's captaincy "will be similar to his batting: positive, instinctive and entertaining."
England batsman Andrew Strauss admitted he was disappointed to miss out on the captaincy and only offered qualified support.
The left-handed opener had been tipped as a future test captain but his form has not been strong enough to avoid the problem that beset ex-captain Michael Vaughan - a respected captain unable to score with the bat.
Pietersen, 28, has taken over the captaincy of England's test, one-day and Twenty20 teams, replacing Vaughan and Paul Collingwood, who also resigned.
Strauss captained his country successfully in 2006, winning three out of five tests when Vaughan was injured, and felt he deserved another chance.
"The selectors had a decision to make. They spoke long and hard about which direction they wanted to go in," Strauss said.
"If they wanted a captain for all three formats including Twenty20, the list would have been short. I'm not involved in two of the formats ... I would have liked to have done the test job and, to that degree, I am disappointed I have not been given the opportunity."
Strauss was qualified in his support for Pietersen.
"It is a brave decision because KP (Pietersen) hasn't done much captaincy before. But I think he has matured a lot in the last couple of years," Strauss said.
"We are all very sad Michael has decided to step down. Having been such an influential figure in the dressing room, it is going to take some getting used to someone else being in charge."
However, Strauss dismissed suggestions that Pietersen is prone to bouts of selfishness and insisted he will have the full backing of the players. "KP is a very decisive person and I am sure he will feel he is up to the challenge," he said. "It is a bit of a step into the unknown because he hasn't captained before but it is a new start for us."
Allrounder Andrew Flintoff said Pietersen will thrive on the responsibility, starting with tomorrow's fourth and final test against South Africa.
"The one thing we don't want is for Kevin to change. He averages 50-plus in Test and one-day cricket and he is an unbelievable talent," Flintoff said. "He is a bit nervous at first but gets his head down and blazes a hundred. That is a measure of the man. When you see things like that, I am sure he will take to captaincy in the same way."
Flintoff, who led England for 11 tests, believes it is important Pietersen makes sure the job does not affect his family life.
"It is a tough job. It is not just about being on the field, moving the field about and changing the bowlers around," he said.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said England will be in trouble if the captaincy affects Pietersen's batting. "If he doesn't score runs, at the moment England are well and truly out of just about any competition. They need him doing that," Gilchrist said.
Close friend and fierce rival Shane Warne said the South African-born batsman will need to become "a giver not a taker."
"Kevin Pietersen now stands at a crossroads in his life as well as his career. Being England captain will take up more time than he can imagine and he will need to reconsider his whole outlook," the Australian spinner told the Times of London.
"Within the game worldwide he has a reputation as being an individual, but to be successful a leader must be a giver not a taker - to his team, fringe players, sponsors, the public, everyone."
Warne said he hoped Pietersen's captaincy "will be similar to his batting: positive, instinctive and entertaining."
England batsman Andrew Strauss admitted he was disappointed to miss out on the captaincy and only offered qualified support.
The left-handed opener had been tipped as a future test captain but his form has not been strong enough to avoid the problem that beset ex-captain Michael Vaughan - a respected captain unable to score with the bat.
Pietersen, 28, has taken over the captaincy of England's test, one-day and Twenty20 teams, replacing Vaughan and Paul Collingwood, who also resigned.
Strauss captained his country successfully in 2006, winning three out of five tests when Vaughan was injured, and felt he deserved another chance.
"The selectors had a decision to make. They spoke long and hard about which direction they wanted to go in," Strauss said.
"If they wanted a captain for all three formats including Twenty20, the list would have been short. I'm not involved in two of the formats ... I would have liked to have done the test job and, to that degree, I am disappointed I have not been given the opportunity."
Strauss was qualified in his support for Pietersen.
"It is a brave decision because KP (Pietersen) hasn't done much captaincy before. But I think he has matured a lot in the last couple of years," Strauss said.
"We are all very sad Michael has decided to step down. Having been such an influential figure in the dressing room, it is going to take some getting used to someone else being in charge."
However, Strauss dismissed suggestions that Pietersen is prone to bouts of selfishness and insisted he will have the full backing of the players. "KP is a very decisive person and I am sure he will feel he is up to the challenge," he said. "It is a bit of a step into the unknown because he hasn't captained before but it is a new start for us."
Allrounder Andrew Flintoff said Pietersen will thrive on the responsibility, starting with tomorrow's fourth and final test against South Africa.
"The one thing we don't want is for Kevin to change. He averages 50-plus in Test and one-day cricket and he is an unbelievable talent," Flintoff said. "He is a bit nervous at first but gets his head down and blazes a hundred. That is a measure of the man. When you see things like that, I am sure he will take to captaincy in the same way."
Flintoff, who led England for 11 tests, believes it is important Pietersen makes sure the job does not affect his family life.
"It is a tough job. It is not just about being on the field, moving the field about and changing the bowlers around," he said.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said England will be in trouble if the captaincy affects Pietersen's batting. "If he doesn't score runs, at the moment England are well and truly out of just about any competition. They need him doing that," Gilchrist said.
Agencies
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