Kevin Pietersen a ‘great example’, says Giles

Kevin Pietersen is setting a ‘great example’ to the novice players in England’s one-day squad, according to limited-overs coach Ashley Giles.

Just over a year ago, world-class batsman Pietersen was briefly exiled from the national side after being accused of sending derogatory text messages regarding then England captain Andrew Strauss to South Africa players. 

But following Strauss’s retirement, former skipper Pietersen has been ‘reintegrated’ into the England set-up. Former England spinner Giles knows Pietersen well, having been alongside him for much of the South Africa-born shotmaker’s maiden Test hundred, a superb 158 against Australia at The Oval that secured a draw which saw the Ashes regained in 2005. 

‘I’ve got a decent relationship with Kev, I’ve played a lot of cricket with him and he’s one of the best players in the world,’ said Giles at Edgbaston. 

‘Kev gets a bad rap a lot I think for some of the stuff he says and does, but for me in this group he has been great with these young guys,’ Giles said. ‘He’s been fully involved and been great and that’s helped us a lot.’