Scoring hundreds and doubles hundreds could force the England selectors into recalling controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen, Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart told Reuters on Thursday.
Pietersen, who was sacked last year following England’s 5-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, has rejoined Surrey in an attempt to earn a recall after incoming England and Wakes cricket board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves said he could return if he “scores a lot of runs” for a county.
Stewart is confident the 34-year-old Pietersen, who scored 8,181 runs in 104 tests for England and also won 136 one-day caps, can force his way back into the international setup.
“Because of what has been said previously by the selectors and other people to do with the ECB, all he has to do is score runs,” Stewart told Reuters TV at the Oval ahead of the new County Championship season.
“That is all we have asked him to do, come back score runs, get hundreds, double hundreds. If he does that then let’s see what the selectors do, or the people running English cricket.
“Everything else is out of his control. What he can control is out in the middle and that is scoring as many runs for us as possible. If he does that it helps him and most importantly helps us.”
Pietersen berated a number of former team mates and ECB officials in his controversial autobiography and national selector James Whitaker said late last year there was no way he would “ever get back into an England team”.
Fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who played alongside Pietersen for England, said he has never experienced any problems with the South-African born batsman.
“He has always been fairly relaxed, here at Surrey he has always fitted in pretty well we haven’t had a problem with him,” Tremlett said.
“During the Ashes when I was there a year or so ago, the experience I had with him didn’t cause any problems.
“I don’t know what went on behind closed doors, but that is all kind of irrelevant. It is about looking forward now and letting his bat do the talking and scoring runs.”
ECB RESTRUCTURING
ECB managing director Paul Downton, who took over the role in February 2014, left his position on Wednesday as part of the board’s restructuring process.
Stewart, who played 133 tests and 170 one-day internationals for England, said he could be interested in the ECB’s new leadership position that will be focussed on performance.
“Anyone who has a love of English cricket, anyone who believes they can make a difference, surely they would want to be involved with the possibility of taking that job on,” the former wicketkeeper-batsman said.
“Once I understand what that role is.”
England, scrabbling around for form after their World Cup debacle, where they failed to get through the group stage, begin a three-match test series against West Indies on Monday.
