SA v Aus: KP glued to TV
2008-08-11 22:03
London - New captain Kevin Pietersen,
buoyed by a six-wicket victory over South Africa on Monday, said
England were capable of regaining the Ashes next year.
An excited Pietersen gushed superlatives when he described
England's win and said his team could beat Australia if they
replicated their performance in the fourth and final test at The
Oval.
"I could not have asked any more from the boys," said
Pietersen even though England lost the series 2-1 to South
Africa.
"If we play like we played this week we can beat Australia.
The key is to turn up like we did this week in every game."
South Africa will have the first crack at the world's
top-ranked nation at the end of 2008.
"That's going to be a very interesting series...one I'm
really going to watch closely," Pietersen told reporters after
claiming the man of the match award for his century in his first
innings as Test skipper last Friday.
England were whitewashed in Australia last year after
winning the Ashes at home in 2005 when Pietersen made his name
as a barnstorming batsman.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who said Pietersen had
proved confident and positive as a leader, was circumspect about
his team's clash with Australia.
"Hopefully we can keep everybody fit for Australia and if we
can round off the season with a win that would be great," Smith
said.
Successful season
Smith, whose side beat England at Headingley and Edgbaston
to win the series, said the season was the most successful South
Africa had enjoyed.
"But this one is the one that has meant most to us," he said
after the visitors clinched a Test-series victory in England for
the first time since 1965.
"We have waited a long time for this moment, we came here
with a goal in mind and that was to win the series and we are
really chuffed to have done it."
Smith has been captain for five years. Pietersen, who took
over from a tearful Michael Vaughan after the Edgbaston defeat,
for only a week.
"I've been seven days in the job now and I've enjoyed every
single minute of it," said England's skipper.
Smith said it was too early to assess Pietersen as a
captain.
"It's going to take some time to see his style and how
things develop," said Smith.
Both captains praised paceman Steve Harmison, who grabbed
four wickets on his England return and bowled with venom.
"If he bowls like he bowled in this game he's going to be a
real asset," Smith said.
Pietersen said: "He was magnificent. I asked him to be like
the old Steve Harmison and he was. I'm definitely going to get
the best out of Steve."
He also added he was trying to persuade Harmison to come out
of one-day international retirement.
South Africa's tour finishes with a Twenty20 international
in Durham next week followed by a series of five one-dayers.