FROM THE ARCHIVE: Kevin Pietersen reveals he wants to play for England

In the spring of 2001, Kevin Pietersen, an immensely talented 20-year-old from South Africa, began his first season with Nottinghamshire...

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In the spring of 2001, Kevin Pietersen, an immensely talented 20-year-old from South Africa, began his first season with Nottinghamshire. KP, who, at the time, was an all-rounder, had joined the midlands club in an attempt to one-day play international cricket for England. Although he qualified through his British mother, he had to complete a four-year residency period before he could be selected for the national side. As we all know, as soon as he completed that period, he went on to become one England’s greatest ever batsmen. In the September 2001 edition of the magazine, he told John Westerby his international ambitions.

In four years, Kevin Pietersen will become an Englishmen, in international cricketing terms at least. For the 21-year-old Nottinghamshire all-rounder, who was born in Pietermaritzburg and raised in Durban but has a British passport thanks to his Canterbury-born mother, this will represent quite a transformation.

He had not visited England until a family holiday in 1998 and is currently in his first season of county cricket, having been snapped up by Nottinghamshire when attracted rave reviews playing for Cannock in the Birmingham League. Now Pietersen says he wants to play for England, once he has served his four-year qualification period. So, how is the assimilation process coming along?

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Pietersen batting during a tour match in India

“I wouldn’t say I feel English yet,” he says. “But I’m trying my best. I sometimes forget myself in the dressing-room and brag about how great the southern hemisphere is, but I do love being in England. The four years feel like a jail sentence, but if I’m playing well enough to be considered for selection once I’ve served my term, I’d love to don the three lions.”

Pietersen’s clean, classical hitting has brought him more than 800 Championship runs this season at an average above 60. Add to that the dangerous off-spin he delivers from high above a 6ft 4ins frame and his dynamic fielding, and you have the sort of multi-dimensional cricketer cherished by the England management. Clive Rice, the Nottinghamshire cricket manager, has no doubt that Pietersen has the ability to play international cricket. “It’s in his hands,” says Rice. “If he wants it badly enough and is prepared to work at every aspect of his game, he could well play for England.”

Whether he makes it to international level or not, Pietersen is convinced that he made the right move in forsaking his South African roots. “I’m loving it at Notts, but it was the biggest decision of my life to come over here,” he says. “In South Africa, it has become increasingly difficult for young white players to make their way because of the quota system. You’re fighting for one of eight places and most of those are taken up by experienced players.”

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KP in South Africa, 2005

Pietersen did manage to play in a dozen first-class matches for KwaZulu-Natal, one them against Nasser Hussain’s tourists in 1999/2000, when he made 61 and took four wickets. His coach in Durban was Graham Ford, a family friend who is now in charge of the South African team. “He taught me many of the finer points of the game when I was growing up,” said Pietersen. “He’s a cricket genius and I was lucky to play under him.”

Now the all-rounder finds himself under the wing of another eminent South African. “Clive Rice was one of the main reasons I came to Notts,” says Pietersen. “It’s unbelievable how much he’s done for my game since I’ve been here. I used to be very much a front-foot batsman, but he’s transformed my back-foot game.”

The results are there for all to see: 165 not out against Middlesex at Lord’s, 100 in 29 balls against Worcestershire, an unbeaten 218 against Derbyshire. “Everyone told me I’d have a problem with the tracks and the weather over here,” he says. “Well, the tracks have been excellent for batting and I can’t say I’ve had too many problems with the weather.”

Pietersen is clearly a happy man. He doesn’t even moan about the weather. Will he ever understand what it takes to be an Englishman?

This article first appeared in the September 2001 issue of The Cricketer

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