Morning:
6°c
Kevin Pietersen is refusing to contemplate the prospect of an extended break from cricket - even if it meant curing his Achilles tendon problem for good.
England's best batsman scored 58 from 38 balls to guide his team into the Super Eight stage with victory over Pakistan on Sunday - but his fitness remains a concern with the first Ashes Test just 29 days away.
The Achilles problem kept Pietersen out of the humiliating defeat by the Netherlands last Friday and he is having injections to manage the situation.
A two or three-month lay-off could resolve the matter but the 28-year-old said he would rather carry on playing even if only half-fit.
"I'm not missing that much time," said Pietersen. "I didn't want to miss the Holland game and I certainly wasn't going to miss out against Pakistan.
"I was going to play on Sunday even if I was only 50 per cent fit, because I want to play for England and I didn't want us to get knocked out of the tournament.
"It has been diagnosed as something in my Achilles that is connected to my back. It's a case of managing it on a daily basis now."
