Pietersen urges England to bounce back in the ODI series
Describing the Test series loss to West Indies as ‘horrendous’, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has urged England to bounce back in the upcoming one day international series.
The visitors arrived in the Caribbean Islands as favourite to win the series, but went down 1-0 in the five-match Test series.
“It's very, very disappointing for the simple fact that we have not won a single game this winter and we still don't seem to be doing enough to win,” admitted Pietersen.
“To lose the series is horrendous. We lost the Stanford game, we lost the India Tests, we lost the India one-dayers, now we've lost the Tests here and it is horrible.”
“I hate losing and to lose a series against the West Indies when I think we're a better side or at least should be a better side - it's not good enough really.”
“A couple of hours of silliness in Jamaica cost us. If we'd have got away with a draw or a win then we could have really turned this series on its head. It wasn't meant to be and so it has not been a good couple of months."
England now has just over four months to claim some momentum of its own before the Ashes series begins in Cardiff on July 8. However, the immediate task for the Poms would be to do well in the upcoming one-day international series which will be preceded by a Twenty20 International game on Sunday.
The attacking batsman has asked his team-mates to show aggressive intent in the ODI series.
"I think we're going to have to go out there with an aggressive approach because we haven't won a game this whole winter," said Pietersen.
"We've got to go out there swinging and playing some good positive cricket. We're going to have to do something because I'm not sure I want to be here another month if we don't win a game."
The last time England played one-day cricket, under Pietersen’s leadership, it lost five consecutive ODIs to India.
England will be without Andrew Flintoff for the Twenty20 game and possibly the first two 50-over matches next week even though the all-rounder has now rejoined the team after being treatment for his hip injury at home.