South Africa captain Graeme Smith today fired the first shots in what promises to be an explosive series with England by telling Kevin Pietersen to "keep his mouth shut" during the First Test at Lord's, which starts on Thursday.

The rivalry between the duo goes back to Pietersen's decision to play for England rather than his homeland after he was left out of a provincial side due to South Africa's controversial quota system in 2000.

At the time, Pietersen said: "The system is bull***t", while Smith responded: "It was his decision to leave and that's fine, but why does he spend so much time slating our country?"

The acrimony between the pair escalated during England's tour in 2004-05 when Pietersen, widely abused by fans up and down the country, accused Smith of being "an absolute muppet" for making "snide comments".

It was hoped that the pair may have put past disputes aside but Smith has threatened to reopen old wounds with a fresh attack on England's talismanic batsman.

Smith said: "Touring around England is a fantastic experience. But Kevin and I would get on a lot better if he kept his mouth shut. That's how he gets fired up. I'll just get on with my cricket."

When it was suggested Smith should get his highly-rated pacemen to target KP's fashionable diamond ear-ring, Smith added: "That's not a bad shout! How expensive is the earring? Look, Kevin's done really well in his career and you can't fault that. He's had a lot to say about South Africa but I'm ready for how things will work. I'll defend my country."

Smith believes the difference in the series will be his quick bowling attack who will make life difficult for Pietersen and his team-mates.

He added: "It's a young attack; Makhaya Ntini is 30 and leads them very well, but we have young Morne Morkel in the wings and Dale Steyn, who's had an incredible season so far." Smith made his name on his last tour of England five years ago, scoring 277 at Edgbaston and 239 at Lord's in consecutive Tests. England are ranked above the Proteas in the world rankings but Smith is confident they can put the record straight.

"Ever since that 2003 series, I've been looking forward to coming back to the UK," he told Zoo Magazine.