Kevin Pietersen praises Andrew Strauss for the development of English cricket
Kevin Pietersen loves to be in the news, even when he is not on the cricket field. The flamboyant batsman who has had several issues with former skipper and current director of England Cricket, Andrew Strauss has come out and praised him for the work being done under his watch.
Pietersen, who was sacked immediately after Andrew Strauss assumed reins as the Director of England cricket back in 2015 has said that he has moved on from those turbulent times and that he recognises the good work done by Strauss.
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"He's actually doing a very good job for England. He's stuck to his principles and he's not deviated," Pietersen was quoted by cricket.com.au.
"And England have done OK; they've won against Australia, they've beaten South Africa in South Africa and they've got a huge series right now against India. I think he's done an OK job. He's a current player and I like that about 'Straussy'. He's played over 100 Test matches and so he gets the modern-day thinking," he further added.
Pietersen also had no qualms in admitting that he had issues with the former captain, but was quick to add that everyone has issues and that he has now moved ahead.
"I'm thumbs up with Straussy. We've had our issues but everyone has issues with certain people. It doesn't bother me now. I live with a smile on my face all day, every day," he added.
It has to be mentioned that England have transformed as a unit ever since Andrew Strauss assumed office. Under the stewardship of coach Trevor Bayliss, the historically defensive England cricket has adopted a more aggressive mode of cricket. Their approach in limited overs has been a refreshing one and players have been given a lot of freedom to go out and express themselves.
This has also led to many players become all-round cricketers with a game to adjust across formats. Players like Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali have become critical cogs in the English line-up. Thus, even when the team is currently facing a difficult situation in India, there is this belief that they can bounce back.
Hence, it is not very difficult to agree with what Kevin Pietersen is saying, and credit must be given to the management and Andrew Strauss.
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