Verbal confrontations with Aussies ‘normal Ashes banter’: Pietersen

MELBOURNE - England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that the verbal confrontations with the Australian team during the Ashes were nothing out of the ordinary.

Pietersen said he had faced some “pretty big verbal contests” from Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath during England’s previous Ashes tour four years ago.

Australian pace bowler Peter Siddle clashed verbally with England batsman Matt Prior when Prior was dismissed during the Perth Test in one of several heated incidents to come out of the match.

Pietersen said the tension out on the field is no different to any other Ashes encounter. “I think you guys (media) feed them some good lines,” he told reporters.

“They talk a lot. Nothing’s different. There’s not really any big chirpers or big sledgers, it is just England versus Australia. It’s an Ashes series,” The Age quoted him, as saying.

“Blokes get a bit red mist occasionally. You’re allowed to do that on both teams. You’re playing for a little urn. It’s historic. It’s huge. But there’s nothing that’s been overboard,” he said.

Pietersen also said he had goose bumps thinking about playing in front of a possible world-record crowd of 91,000 people on Sunday. (ANI)