Controversy surrounds Pietersen again

London: England are determined to avoid all distractions as they set their focus on the two-Test margin of victory required to wrest the title of the best team on the planet from India.

But controversial star Kevin Pietersen has inadvertently rekindled the debate over the prevalence of South African-born cricketers in the England set-up by announcing in a throwaway line: "I'm not English, I just work here."

Pietersen, born in Pietermaritzburg, will be one of four players from South Africa — alongside captain Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and wicketkeeper Matt Prior — included yesterday in the England squad for the first Test against India at Lord's which starts on Thursday.

England have picked seven South African-born players in all forms of international cricket this season, with Craig Kieswetter and Jade Dernbach representing their adopted country in one-day cricket against Sri Lanka, and Michael Lumb opening the batting against the same opponents in the single Twenty20.

Five of those seven —Strauss, Prior, Kieswetter, Dernbach and Lumb — were born in Johannesburg, while Eoin Morgan, the eighth "overseas" England player, is from Dublin. Pietersen has always acknowledged that he first came to England to further an ambition to play Test cricket, an ambition he felt he could not realise in his native land because of their quota system following the collapse of apartheid.

But his feelings about which country he calls home have again been called into question following publication of a diary by Australian cricketer Ed Cowan. In his book, Cowan writes of an incident involving Pietersen during England's match against Australia A. According to Cowan, Pietersen "was heard to exclaim, as he cast his eye over the lunch buffet: ‘What the **** is this?'"

Cowan told him that, being English, he should recognise bread-and-butter pudding when he saw it, to which he claims Pietersen replied: "I'm not ****ing English, Eddie. I just work here!"

Pietersen's agent, Adam Wheatley, said last night that Cowan's claim "doesn't really warrant a response", while skipper Strauss laughed off the story, saying: "If he did say that, I'm sure he said it in jest."

Strauss, of course, has more pressing concerns, in particular, how to deal with the batting threat of the man idolised back home in India as The Little Master.

Clear message

England's skipper may not wish to appear ungracious towards Sachin Tendulkar, but he does want India's greatest batsman to get the message that once the pre-series handshakes are completed his England side will be out to get him.

Strauss even suggested last week that the 38-year-old's focus might be disturbed by the prospect of further cementing his place among the immortals by making his 100th Test century at the home of cricket, a ground where his Test scores to date have been 10, 27, 31,16,12, 37 and 16.

New Pietersen claim adds to concerns over England's South African connections.

— Daily Mail