Match-winner Pietersen looks ahead to Australia
Kevin Pietersen would love to knock out Australia
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Thursday, 13, Sep 2007 10:42
Kevin Pietersen has warned his England team-mates not to take Australia lightly in tomorrow's World Twenty20 encounter at Cape Town.
England's premier batsman hammered 79 in his team's comprehensive 50 run victory over Zimbabwe today and although he knows a win tomorrow would knock out the mighty Australians, he expects the World Champions to come out fighting.
"They are a great side and you never, ever, ever, ever underestimate them," Pietersen said.
"Australia have world-class players in their team and it doesn't take them long to turn things around. But we've got the upper hand in terms of the match practice we've had over the last six months to what they've had."
Australia suffered an embarrassing loss to Zimbabwe yesterday and now have to beat England to have any chance of staying in the tournament. If they beat England then all three teams in Group B will be equal on two points and run-rate would decide which two teams progress.
But Pietersen isn't contemplating defeat and is desperate to exact some revenge on the Australians after last winter's 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
"We were humiliated last winter by Australia, but we're in a position of strength where there's a possibility of us pretty much humiliating Australia," said Pietersen.
"But I don't want to make it into something - that I'm saying this about Australia or that about Australia - because it's not. It's a permutation that could happen and if it happens, it happens, who knows?"
England captain Paul Collingwood added that his team would respect Australia but said his players wouldn't fear them.
"We've got a very good team and if you go out there with the fearless attitude we've spoken about you can make big totals, it doesn't matter who you're playing against," said Collingwood.