Kevin Pietersen: Win or lose, don't act like clowns

Captain Pietersen and the 10 players he leads on to the field for cricket's richest ever match will earn more than £500,000 apiece if they beat the West Indian Stanford 'Superstars' yet walk away with nothing if the result goes against them.

However, mindful of the global economic crisis, Pietersen knows that celebrating too loudly or crying in their beer - after the Twenty20 game could provoke a furious - public reaction. "I respect everything that's happening in the world at the moment," Pietersen said today.

"I've got friends who are struggling, people who have lost their jobs and stuff, and there's no way I want anyone to carry on like a clown, win or lose next week, because there's a lot more things happening in the world which we need to respect.

"This game has obviously come at a really difficult time in terms of what is happening in the world. There won't be any nonsense happening in or after that game, and I'll be really, really angry if stuff does happen."

Pietersen has already announced that, if England win, he intends to give some of his windfall to charity. But he will not be urging team-mates to do the same.

"I've got guys in the team who are older than me, and more experienced than me, and I'm nobody's financial adviser," said the captain.

But how should his team handle the pressure of playing for such a big prize?

"The key is not to think that in three hours' work you can earn 'x' amount of money," said Pietersen.

"The key is to realise that if you keep putting in the performances for England, day in and day out, you are going to earn much more than that. So what's the point in worrying about three hours? I'm certainly not. I couldn't give two hoots about it, but I'm probably in a different position to some of those players."

England play Middlesex on Sunday and Trinidad & Tobago on the following Tuesday as part of their warm-up.