Thaindian News

Melbourne, July 1 (IANS) England’s star batsman Kevin Pietersen Wednesday asked Australians to be wary of their reverse-swinging bowlers who scripted the baggy green’s downfall in the 2005 Ashes.
Even though only Andrew Flintoff remains from the four-man pace and swing battery that inspired England’s only Ashes triumph in the past ten series, Pietersen believes another generation is on the move.

“I’m sure the Australians are hoping that the weather doesn’t stay like this because (Jimmy) Anderson, (Stuart) Broad and Flintoff bowling reverse swing the way they do, I certainly don’t want to be facing that,” Pietersen was quoted as saying in The Australian Wednesday.

The hot, humid and unstable conditions that aid swing bowling are predicted to last at least until the beginning of the first Test in Cardiff next Wednesday.

“If the weather stays like this the ball will certainly reverse swing,” Pietersen said. “We are going to be really tough to play against. I am looking forward to watching their batters play.

“Even if their batsman conquer our reverse swing, I look forward to watching that because it will take some serious batting to play against guys who bowl at 90 miles an hour (144km/h) and reverse swing it both ways. It will be very good cricket to watch.

“When I saw Anderson bowling the way he did against the West Indies — 91, 92mph and swinging it both ways — I said, ‘How do you face that’.

“I know as a batsman who goes OK against swing bowling, to face that is the biggest test of all.”

In 2005, England’s pace attack bowled wonderfully as a unit. Flintoff was the leading wicket-taker with 24 at 27 and Simon Jones claimed 18 at 21 in four Tests.

Australia’s batsmen managed just three centuries in five Tests and only Justin Langer averaged in the 40s.