da bet7k： Kevin Pietersen has again called for more time off for England’s players as he squeezes in a short break ahead of the India series
Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2007
Kevin Pietersen wasn’t at his best during the one-day series against West Indies © Getty Images
Kevin Pietersen has again called for more time off for England’s players as he squeezes in a short break ahead of the India series. He says his poor form during the one-day series against West Indies, 42 runs in three innings, was down to him becoming increasingly tired during the season.He began the summer with a bang, hitting a career-best 226 at Headingley after a century at Lord’s, but his form has slowly tailed off since. His packed schedule led to the ECB chartering a helicopter to fly him straight from the final Test at Chester-le-Street to The Rose Bowl for Hampshire’s Friends Provident quarter-final against Warwickshire.”I’m mentally fatigued – really, really tired. It was a long winter of Champions Trophy, then the Ashes, then the World Cup,” he said. “I rattled into the West Indies series but got progressively worse, more and more tired.”That’s why I have to make the most of these little windows of opportunity for a proper rest. So we’re going out of this country, I’m going to turn my mobile off and enjoy waking up knowing I don’t have to play cricket or do a gym session.”Pietersen had a four-week break during the CB Series after breaking his rib, but won’t have another sustained period away from cricket until mid-October. Three days after England’s final ODI against India the Twenty20 World Championships start in South Africa, from where England fly straight to Sri Lanka for a five-match one-day series.Then there is a month’s break before England return to Sri Lanka for a three-Test series before, following a rare Christmas at home, leaving for New Zealand in late January to play two Twenty20 Internationals, five ODIs and three Tests.