KP has landed. The former England star breezed into Durban yesterday for his first day at the office for his old franchise.
There’s rarely a dull day in Kevin Pietersen’s life, and yesterday was no exception for the former Maritzburg College schoolboy. After a long net at Kingsmead with his new Dolphins teammates, the 35-year-old T20 gun for hire also found time to offer David Miller some batting tips before concluding a productive day by chatting to the media.
He then exited the ground with elegance, driving a fire-engine-red Range Rover back to his luxury hotel in Umhlanga Rocks, The Oyster Box, where he is staying with wife Jessica Taylor and son Dylan.
Pietersen may not be playing for England any more, but the world is still his oyster. After representing the Dolphins in five Ram Slam T20 Challenge matches, he will be off to Australia for the Big Bash where he will team up with former Australian captain Michael Clarke for the Melbourne Stars.
Asked how much preparation he’d been able to put in for the Ram Slam, Pietersen deftly replied: “I hit quite a few balls this morning. Best when fresh is my approach ... it’s like riding a bike. I know exactly what I need to do to get myself ready.
“It’s about getting my feet moving – they moved nicely. To be honest, I surprised myself how well I played today. I’m a hard worker; cricket is everything to me; my batting is everything to me. The media and all the garbage that follows plays second fiddle.”
The media conference began 50 minutes late, a fact that Pietersen ascribed to just how seriously he takes his practice.
Pace bowler Brandon Scullard, who bowled a lengthy spell to Pietersen, remarked: “He’s certainly got a lot of time to play his shots.”
His personal practice done, Pietersen then spent some time standing behind Miller during his net practice, offering advice. The powerful left-hander has been struggling of late, particularly against spin during the ODI series in India, and Pietersen offered him a few tips.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with guys like Rahul Dravid talking about the art of playing spin on the subcontinent; I see it as part of my job here to not just score runs and win games, but also to hand on my knowledge so players can become better,” he said. - Mercury