BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Talismanic England batsman Kevin Pietersen said Sunday his resurgence in form, becoming a recent father and winning the World Twenty20 Championship had been an experience like no other.
“It’s humbling for sure. Moments like this you’ve got to savour, awards like this and things like that,” said the right-hander who also picked up the Player-of-the-Series honour.
“If it wasn’t for the help of all the dressing room in Bangladesh (on England’s recent tour) and the coaching staff and the management and stuff I probably wouldn’t have been here and batting the way I did.
“The nights and dinners that I had with Colly (captain Paul Collingwood), as well, reassuring me of how to play when you lose sight of how you should be playing and coming back from an injury I had. It is difficult to believe the achievement.”
Pietersen scored a carefree 47 from 31 balls as England chased down Australia’s 148 to win their first ever global cricket trophy at Kensington Oval on Sunday.
The performance came on the heels of the birth of Pietersen’s first child last week, an event he flew home to witness. He returned to the Caribbean on Wednesday just hours ahead of England’s semi-final against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
“[It’s] incredible really. One (a feeling) that will probably only sink in a few weeks time,” Pietersen pointed out.
“I reckon in the next week or so when I have my little boy to see and to hold and stuff everything will probably sink in. Right now it’s incredible.
“Things only seem to sink in a few days later or a week later. Hopefully the ash clouds can stay away and we can get back to all our families on Tuesday.
“It’s one thing celebrating with your lads but you also want your families around to celebrate such a successful time.”
Pietersen, who finished with 248 runs, said his return to form had been due to the remedial work he put in ahead of the tournament.
“The work that I put in in Bangladesh and in India, I mean there is no greater place to go to learn your batting and to work hard,” said the 29-year-old.
“I spent hours and hours in the nets in Bangalore. I spent an hour and a half in a game I missed in Nagpur. I had guys bowling to me for an hour and a half. I just worked as hard as I can because I was really disappointed in my winter and I was really disappointed in my last 12 months.”
He added: “It’s difficult for me to say how well I am batting. I feel good and to contribute to this (title). There is not greater feeling.
“No matter how well you are playing and you are losing [it is not satisfying] but to be playing okay and to do what we have been done here this week for these last two weeks, priceless.”
