Pietersen aims to change his mental approach to succeed in Ashes series

PERTH - England batsman Kevin Pietersen feels that he needs to work on the mental side of his game to bounce back to his best form during the upcoming Ashes series against Australia.

The South Africa-born batsman has averaged just 36.90 since the start of the 2009 Ashes series and has not made a Test hundred since March last year.

“I’ve never really been a technical player. I play like a clown. It’s just my mental approach that I needed to change, just get a load of confidence back, and I’m on fire at the moment,” Sky News quoted Pietersen, as saying.

“I’m looking forward now; I’m not interested in what’s gone. I’m very happy with what’s happening at the moment,” he added.

The 30-year-old further believes that his short stint in South Africa with former coach Graham Ford would help him re-establish himself.

“It was amazing. He’s a close family friend - I feel great at the moment. He just knows me, has done since I was a little nipper, so he knows how to sort me out,” Pietersen said.

Pietersen made an impressive 58 in England’s warm-up game against Western Australia in Perth.

The first of the five Ashes Tests will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane from November 25 to 29.

It will be followed by Tests in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

The tour also has two Twenty20 clashes and a seven-match ODI series. (ANI)