Motivated KP is ready to get tough

Pietersen's delight at beating South Africa by six wickets at the Brit Oval bubbled over into a bold claim that if his team produce an identical performance next year then they will defeat Australia as well.

A little bit of time and some more careful analysis will almost certainly convince captain KP that there is still plenty of room for improvement. But his enthusiasm before the final npower Test of this summer clearly rubbed off on players and supporters alike.

Pietersen was a back-slapping, handclapping whir of energy during a game which saw South Africa fall below the high standards they set - especially with the bat - while winning the series at Headingley and Edgbaston.

But Mr Motivator will need to become Mr Angry sooner or later - and that time could easily arrive during a set of six limited-overs matches against the Proteas which concludes this international season. So can he do it?

"Players like to be supported because it's a tough environment out there," said coach Peter Moores. "But there will be times when he has words with players, and he can speak openly. Kevin can do that. If criticism is fair and honest then players will always accept it and if they think they should cop it then they will take it on the chin.

"What they will know with Kevin is that he will be in there scrapping with them and will put his own neck on the line. I think they respect him for that."

When Michael Vaughan resigned as Test captain after the Edgbaston defeat and Paul Collingwood stepped down as one-day leader, Moores and Pietersen held what was widely described as 'clear the air' meeting before the new skipper's appointment was confirmed.Neither man has denied the suggestion there had been disagreements between them in recent months but both say they are "singing from the same hymn sheet."

And after Vaughan's thoughtful, reflective brand of captaincy, perhaps Pietersen's high energy style is just what the England camp needed.

"Kevin captained well," said Moores. "He stayed patient when he needed to and he was simple in his approach, which I think the players enjoyed. He led from the front, which was a good sign. He told the players what he wanted from them and then it was their job to try to deliver.

"He's a hard worker. Since I've been involved he's worked harder than anyone else on his game. And he's full of energy. Obviously with your first Test as captain you're going to be like that, but energy and enthusiasm is something you want to bottle and keep.

"What KP is saying is that if you can get 11 blokes up for every game you are a tough side to beat. That's the challenge-for everybody within the set-up." Pietersen has already stated he wants Andrew Flintoff to be his Test No 6, even though many people believe that is one place too high for the all-rounder. And he is adamant that Steve Harmison needs to stay in the Test team, even if his hopes of persuading the big fast bowler to un-retire from one-day international cricket seem certain to fail.

But Pietersen hinted that some changes may be necessary before December's India tour. "I think the one area we probably need to improve on is our batting," said the captain. "That's an area of concern."