KP ‘psyches’ Oz batters with reverse swing terrors ahead of Ashes

LONDON - England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that there is a good chance that Australia’s batters will come up against reverse swing during the Ashes series.

The English seamers turned Australian batsmen’s heads to mush and legs to lead in their shock 2-1 series win in 2005.

“I know the Australians are probably hoping that the weather does not stay like this because (of James) Anderson, (Stuart) Broad, (Andrew) Flintoff bowling reverse swing the way they do,” the Courier Mail quoted KP, as saying.

“If the weather stays like this, the ball will certainly reverse swing and we are going to be really tough to play against,” he added.

One thing working in Australia’s favour this time around must be their fast bowling coach Troy Cooley, who was largely credited as the brains behind England’s use of reverse swing four years ago.

Under his guidance, the already lethal Mitchell Johnson showed in South Africa that he is working out how to swing the ball both ways.

South African-born Pietersen said he gained fresh information about the Australians from former countrymen Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher following South Africa’s six Tests against Ricky Ponting’s men during the last southern summer.

“I have had a lot of communication with Kallis and Boucher,” he said with a cheeky smile.

“A lot of it was very, very useful,” he added.

England and Australia will start their final warm-up matches tomorrow, with England playing a three-day match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston and Australia a four-day game against an England second XI at Worcester. (ANI)