Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged Kevin Pietersen to embrace his attacking instincts for the remainder of the Ashes.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged Kevin Pietersen to embrace his attacking instincts for the remainder of the Ashes.Vaughan, who captained the side to Ashes success in 2005 before eventually retiring as a player earlier this summer, does not subscribe to the view that the flamboyant batsman should become more conservative, despite being criticised for two poor dismissals in the first Test at Cardiff.
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Kevin Pietersen balances a football during England's nets at Lord's yesterday. pic/afp |
Instead, the man who handed Pietersen his Test debut believes he should back himself to clear the ropes and make big scores.
Pietersen was particularly criticised for his pre-meditated sweep to Nathan Hauritz, a shot which cost him his first-innings wicket, but Vaughan has backed the South Africa-born player to go after the off-spinner when the sides next meet.
"What we expect from Kevin is for him to play to his maximum ability. He got out playing a shot he'd played before and knocked for one," Vaughan told BBC Radio Five Live.
"But what I'd have liked to see was Kevin taking on Hauritz down the ground a few more times and hitting him for six.
"I've seen him do it to Shane Warne and to Murali, so I'd like him to attack a little bit more.
"He is an attacking player; I don't buy the thought that he's a guy who should bat for time.
"As captain I always felt if Kevin could bat for three hours he could take the game away from the opposition. I want to see him continue in a positive vein because that's the kind of player he is."
