England’s World Cup campaign has been helped by injuries: Pietersen
By ANISunday, January 30, 2011
LONDON - England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that his team’s World Cup campaign has been helped by injuries to some of the players.
Bowlers Graeme Swann (back injury), Stuart Broad (stomach injury), and Tim Bresnan (calf injury) have all had time out with problems.
Broad is back with England in Australia while Swann and Bresnan, who should be fit to join the 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup, are at home.
“The niggles have allowed a few of the bigger players to go home and recharge batteries. Obviously if it keeps them out [of the World Cup] it’s not a good thing but I don’t see any harm in the fact that some of the players have had a few days off.
“They will be recharged and ready. It’s a good thing,” Pietersen told BBC Sport.
Pietersen has so far made 90 runs, including a top score of 78, in three innings in the one-day series against Australia, which the tourists trail 3-1 with three games to play.
The fifth match takes place in Brisbane on Sunday with England needing to follow up their win in Adelaide to keep the series alive.
“We’ll be looking to fight as hard as we fought in Adelaide and play a bit better than we did in Adelaide and hopefully get a victory,” Pietersen said.
“We were 3-0 down so to fight all the way to the end and turn out in Perth (the seventh match in the series) with what could be a final would be incredible,” he said.
The 30-year-old Pietersen is looking forward to having a break before the World Cup - which is being held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - begins on 19 February. (ANI)
