England v Australia: Eoin Morgan hails Kevin Pietersen influence

Eoin Morgan will be delighted to welcome Kevin Pietersen's expertise and wisdom back into England's one-day international team.

Morgan, standing in as captain in place of the rested Alastair Cook for the five-match series against Australia set to get under way at Headingley, may well deploy Pietersen in the opener's position in which he has fared so well.

Pietersen, returning to the 50-over format for the first time since January because of injuries, is an obvious contender to help fill the vacancy left at the top of the order by the absence of Cook and Ian Bell.

He batted at number three when he last featured in ODI cricket but previously signed off as an opener with back-to-back centuries against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in early 2012.

Much has happened to Pietersen and England in the intervening time - including Cook and Bell's prolific partnership.

But with both rested, Pietersen's average of 58.85 in eight attempts against the new ball - albeit exclusively in sub-continent or Middle East conditions - presents a compelling case for him to return to that role, probably alongside Michael Carberry.

It will not be merely Pietersen's runs, but his presence as a senior player in a largely inexperienced squad, which Morgan will hold dear.

"Kev offers a hell of a lot as a senior player and as a batsman," he said.

"He leads by example. The confidence with which he goes about his business, people rub off on that - and that's crucial.

"When I came into the team, he was one of the most senior players - the guy you could turn to and ask difficult questions.

"He's fantastic to have in the squad and back in for the one-day series."

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Eoin Morgan calls on Kevin Pietersen to lead by example during England's ODI series against Australia

With Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann all rested after a successful Ashes campaign, Morgan will lead some unfamiliar faces into battle against the tourists.

Given the lack of experience in the England line-up, Morgan has urged Pietersen to lead the way.

"Kev offers a hell of a lot as a senior player and as a batsman," Morgan said. "As a senior player he leads by example with the confidence with which he goes about his business. People rub off on that and that's crucial.

"When I first came into the team, he was one of the more senior players and he was a guy you could turn to and ask difficult questions or have no hesitation in turning to him for a positive option.

"In that regard, I think he's fantastic to have in the squad and back in for the one-day series."

Morgan stopped short of guaranteeing Pietersen the chance to open the batting against Australia in the absence of Bell and Test captain Cook, with the 33-year-old Surrey batsman's firebrand style potentially better employed futher down the order.

"It's certainly an option,” Morgan said. “Kev's opened the batting for England before and done well. He also bats in the middle-order as a very explosive player. He's very versatile in that regard so we'll be looking at both options."

Morgan said that whoever was selected to open the batting would be "filling big shoes".

"Cooky and Belly have been very successful now for a couple of years and they've been a huge part of our success as a one-day team," said the Irishman, who hit a century against Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday.

"With the two new balls in one-day cricket it makes that role more difficult now, so it's an important role and one that we recognise needs filling."

Sussex bowler Chris Jordan could make his England debut on Friday and Morgan says working alongside budding debutants has been the highlight of his captaincy so far.

"Those games in particular I've really enjoyed. The things I've most enjoyed about them has been handing out caps to debutants,” he said.

"It's fantastic to see guys being rewarded for a lot of hard work over a number of years and being rewarded by pulling the England shirt on and that makes me smile every day."

Edited by Michael Beattie

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Ashes 2013: England's Kevin Pietersen heads the batting cast in a composite series XI featuring five Australians

It was the 2094th Test, and never before had the equation been 227 off 44 overs. It was fairly similar at Centurion in 2000 but then Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s captain, was fixed on not drawing the game.

So at the Oval theatre, the last act of this series had no script. The coaches could not tell their players anything of specific relevance from their experience. The players could not be programmed.

And such uncertainty on a late August evening, born of Michael Clarke’s daring declaration, riveted all concerned. At the end of an over when the PA announcer tried to tell the crowd about the ceremonies that would take place at the finish, such was the clapping, cheering and chanting that not one of his words was audible.

It was drama - and, better still, the drama of the first-night play, when none of the audience knows the outcome. Or rather, best of all, a play in which nobody - neither the audience nor the actors - knows what the outcome will be.

Kevin Pietersen did his best to script the finish. When he came in, England wanted 141 runs from the last 145 balls of the series, although there was always the likelihood that fading light would shave off a few overs.

Cometh the hour, cometh the showman. Pietersen feels good at the Oval: not only his breakthrough innings of 158 in 2005, but his first Test here as captain when he made a century against South Africa, and won. He not only averages more than 60 runs per innings here but, thanks to some pace in the pitch, four runs per over.

During his 55 balls, Pietersen could hardly have done more to recreate the magic of his innings eight years ago. But there was one difference between then and now. This Australian side have not been able to bat like their predecessors, or bowl Shane Warne, but their ground-fielding has been superlative.

In 2005 Pietersen was dropped more than once when the match was far from safe. On Sunday evening the first time he hit the ball towards a fielder, he was caught by David Warner at long-on.

Jonathan Trott had contributed 13 to their partnership of 77 and, being mortal, could not accelerate as his partner had. The next two Warwickshire players, Ian Bell and Chris Woakes, stayed on course to knock off the runs in 44 overs, but not in the 40 overs that approaching autumn allowed, before the script decreed the curtain should come down.

Before Pietersen, England’s captain Alastair Cook had found some fluency for the first time in this series. Even though he did not ‘go on’, once again, Cook did enough - in addition to his conscientious captaincy - to merit being one of the opening batsman in a composite eleven made up of these two sides.

Chris Rogers, though demoted on Sunday, would be Cook’s partner. Shane Watson was man of this match for his 176, and he can bowl better than Trott. Watson’s spell last evening was wicketless, as usual, yet invaluable.

Pietersen’s conversation with Michael Clarke, when they partner each other at four and five, would be worth turning up the stump-mike for. And when one of them runs the other out, there is always Bell to make another hundred.

Brad Haddin’s record feat, of making the most dismissals in any Test series, was overlooked in the closing ceremonies: no wonder wicketkeepers are used to being neglected. Haddin made his 29 catches off nine different bowlers, but most of them - nine - off Ryan Harris.

Harris, the bustling bull-dog with no bite, took 24 wickets in only four Tests. He and James Anderson would be a pace attack to avoid, backed by Stuart Broad who improved as the series went on, whereas Peter Siddle faded.

And who else but Graeme Swann, the leading wicket-taker with 26, to be the spinner? Didn’t he love being in control?

Composite XI: Cook, Rogers, Watson, Pietersen, Clarke (capt), Bell, Haddin, Broad, Swann, Harris and Anderson.

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Ashes 2013: England's Kevin Pietersen heads the batting cast in a composite series XI featuring five Australians

It was the 2094th Test, and never before had the equation been 227 off 44 overs. It was fairly similar at Centurion in 2000 but then Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s captain, was fixed on not drawing the game.

So at the Oval theatre, the last act of this series had no script. The coaches could not tell their players anything of specific relevance from their experience. The players could not be programmed.

And such uncertainty on a late August evening, born of Michael Clarke’s daring declaration, riveted all concerned. At the end of an over when the PA announcer tried to tell the crowd about the ceremonies that would take place at the finish, such was the clapping, cheering and chanting that not one of his words was audible.

It was drama - and, better still, the drama of the first-night play, when none of the audience knows the outcome. Or rather, best of all, a play in which nobody - neither the audience nor the actors - knows what the outcome will be.

Kevin Pietersen did his best to script the finish. When he came in, England wanted 141 runs from the last 145 balls of the series, although there was always the likelihood that fading light would shave off a few overs.

Cometh the hour, cometh the showman. Pietersen feels good at the Oval: not only his breakthrough innings of 158 in 2005, but his first Test here as captain when he made a century against South Africa, and won. He not only averages more than 60 runs per innings here but, thanks to some pace in the pitch, four runs per over.

During his 55 balls, Pietersen could hardly have done more to recreate the magic of his innings eight years ago. But there was one difference between then and now. This Australian side have not been able to bat like their predecessors, or bowl Shane Warne, but their ground-fielding has been superlative.

In 2005 Pietersen was dropped more than once when the match was far from safe. On Sunday evening the first time he hit the ball towards a fielder, he was caught by David Warner at long-on.

Jonathan Trott had contributed 13 to their partnership of 77 and, being mortal, could not accelerate as his partner had. The next two Warwickshire players, Ian Bell and Chris Woakes, stayed on course to knock off the runs in 44 overs, but not in the 40 overs that approaching autumn allowed, before the script decreed the curtain should come down.

Before Pietersen, England’s captain Alastair Cook had found some fluency for the first time in this series. Even though he did not ‘go on’, once again, Cook did enough - in addition to his conscientious captaincy - to merit being one of the opening batsman in a composite eleven made up of these two sides.

Chris Rogers, though demoted on Sunday, would be Cook’s partner. Shane Watson was man of this match for his 176, and he can bowl better than Trott. Watson’s spell last evening was wicketless, as usual, yet invaluable.

Pietersen’s conversation with Michael Clarke, when they partner each other at four and five, would be worth turning up the stump-mike for. And when one of them runs the other out, there is always Bell to make another hundred.

Brad Haddin’s record feat, of making the most dismissals in any Test series, was overlooked in the closing ceremonies: no wonder wicketkeepers are used to being neglected. Haddin made his 29 catches off nine different bowlers, but most of them - nine - off Ryan Harris.

Harris, the bustling bull-dog with no bite, took 24 wickets in only four Tests. He and James Anderson would be a pace attack to avoid, backed by Stuart Broad who improved as the series went on, whereas Peter Siddle faded.

And who else but Graeme Swann, the leading wicket-taker with 26, to be the spinner? Didn’t he love being in control?

Composite XI: Cook, Rogers, Watson, Pietersen, Clarke (capt), Bell, Haddin, Broad, Swann, Harris and Anderson.

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Ashes 2013: England hopeful over Kevin Pietersen fitness

The batsman was not on the field as his team-mates wrapped up a 347-run win in the second Test at Lord's on Sunday, having suffered a calf strain.

He provided an update on his recovery yesterday, tweeting that he was "stuck on a sofa tightly fastened to an ice machine" in a bid to be ready for Old Trafford on August 1.

And fast bowler James Anderson said today: "As far as I know it was a strain so we'll keep our fingers crossed that he'll be fine for the Old Trafford Test.

"For him more than most, the next 10 days will be crucial, a lot of rehab and trying to get himself fit for next week - which we're all hoping he will be."

There are no such problems with another of England's batting line-up after Joe Root continued his rapid rise by making 180 in the second innings at Lord's.

"He's been amazing," said Anderson of the 22-year-old Yorkshireman.

"There's a lot of pressure on this series and for someone so young to take it in his stride, it's a great credit to him - he seems to thrive off it, almost.

"The way he has dealt with it will stand him in good stead for the future and I'm sure he's got a big future ahead of him."

Anderson expects his home track in Manchester to follow the pattern established so far in the series, with reverse swing to the fore and help also available for spinner Graeme Swann, who took nine wickets last week including five for 44 in the first innings to add his name to the honours board at Lord's.

"I can't imagine it'll be too different from what we've had in the first two games, so Swanny should be involved at some point," he said.

"Reverse swing is very common at Old Trafford and it's very dry, with the weather we've been having, so I imagine that's the same at the moment.

"Obviously I'm delighted to be playing at my home ground, very excited about it.

"I've never played an Ashes Test there, I've not played a Test there for maybe three or four years. All my friends and family will be there watching so I can't wait."

(Edited by Nick Pearce)

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Ashes 2013: England set to audition James Taylor to act as cover for Kevin Pietersen

England want to look at Taylor against Australia with a view to him replacing Kevin Pietersen for the third Ashes Test if he fails to recover from a calf injury.

Pietersen is undergoing intensive treatment this week on his left calf but England will name cover for him when they announce the squad for the Old Trafford Test at the weekend with Taylor’s appearance for Sussex confirmation that he is the frontrunner.

Taylor played two Tests last summer against South Africa but doubts about his technique at the highest level led to his being overtaken during the winter by Joe Root and Nick Compton.

But he has scored two centuries, including one double, in the first division of the Championship for Nottinghamshire this summer forcing his way back into contention.

England view Compton as an opener not a batsman to slot into the middle order, making a recall this week unlikely.

Gary Ballance of Yorkshire netted with England at Headingley before the second Test against New Zealand in May and is highly rated but likely to be kept back until the one-day series against Australia after the Ashes.

Ravi Bopara is also a candidate for a Test recall but a side injury has curtailed his cricket in recent weeks.

Taylor made his debut at Headingley against the mighty South African attack last summer and batted for nearly two hours in the first innings with Pietersen.

There were reports Pietersen belittled Taylor’s performance in the dressing room during a match when his relationship with England fractured completely. Taylor has said he has no knowledge of the incident.

The 23-year-old played in the next Test at Lord’s and was run out going for fourth run in the second innings as England lost by 51 runs.

Taylor’s appearance for Sussex is the second time England have used county matches against Australia to their own advantage with Compton turning out for Worcestershire.

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Pietersen doubtful for third Test

England batting coach Graham Gooch admits the injured Kevin Pietersen may miss the third Ashes Test as well as the remainder of the second.

Pietersen had a scan on Saturday which revealed he has a left calf strain, and will not take the field as England look to go 2-0 up in the series at Lords.

Gooch said: "Kevin has got a small strain in his calf and there's a doubt over his selection for the next Test.

"James Taylor's having a good year. The selectors will look at the options."

Nottinghamshire's Taylor, 23, played two Tests against South Africa last year, scoring 48 runs in three innings.

Nottinghamshire's James Taylor could replace Kevin Pietersen for the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford

This season he has scored 824 runs in 15 Championship innings at an average of 58, with two centuries and four fifties, and a best of 204 not out against Sussex in June.

Gooch told the BBC's Test Match Special: "They also have to look at the conditions at Old Trafford. Once you decide what the pitch is like you decide who the replacement will be.

"Spinners are flourishing in this sort of weather so I think once you decide what the pitch is going to be like you'll decide who the replacement will be if Kevin is not fit, but there are plenty of good young batsmen around."

Pietersen suffered the injury while fielding in Australia's first innings on Friday and looked uncomfortable when he went out to bat later in the day.

He made only five runs before reaching away from his body and hitting bowler Peter Siddle to point.

It is only Pietersen's second Test since recovering from a knee problem that forced him to return early from the New Zealand tour in March.

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