Pietersen criticises fixture pile-up
KP voices concerns
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Thursday, 14, Jun 2007 08:31
England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has bemoaned the increasing time demands of international cricket ahead of tomorrow's fourth Test against West Indies.
The 26-year old, widely regarded as one of the premier batsmen in the world, said there were "loads and loads of demands on your time now".
The South African-born batsman returned home from a hectic international schedule this year, which included a losing Ashes battle in Australia, the subsequent one-day series and the World Cup, only after cracking his rib in a one day fixture.
Speaking at an Urban Cricket coaching clinic, Pietersen also explained how his desire to marry and start a family with former Liberty X star Jessica Taylor had changed his perception of the touring lifestyle.
"It doesn't matter how well or badly you're playing, you have to have that balance [between rest and play], he said.
However, he also said that the burdensome workload would not stop him from touring with England.
"I'm never going to be in a situation where I turn a tour down or a game down because I love doing this," he said.
England captain Michael Vaughan also voiced his concerns about the congested fixture schedule last year.
The 33-year-old, who only made his return to Test cricket last month at Headingley, his first game since the 2005 tour of India, urged schedulers to take heed of player burnout.