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Pietersen calls for response to 'worst-ever' England showing

14/02/2008

Kevin Pietersen has claimed England's ten-wicket defeat to New Zealand in Tuesday's one-day international was the worst game he has played in.

And the star batsman, who was one of only five England players to score in double figures as the tourists slumped to 158 all out in Hamilton, has called on the players to respond with a win in the third ODI tomorrow.

England find themselves 2-0 down in the five-match series, despite promising team showings in the two Twenty20 internationals that preceded the one-day games.

But Pietersen, who top-scored with 43 in the first Twenty20 match of the tour, has dismissed any talk of the early successes by branding their last performance "the worst I've known with the one-day side".

"I didn't play the game in Australia last year when the guys got beaten before the lights came on because I was back home with a broken rib," he said.

"It wasn't a special place to be in the dressing room the other night but what's gone is gone and what we need to realise is that tomorrow is hopefully going to be a start to a change that we have to make."

Pietersen could not put his finger on why the team had fallen so short in the two one-day games, but said he wants his team-mates to keep targetting an overall series victory.

"We have three games left and it's pretty simple - we have to win three games to win the series," he continued.

"I think this team is good enough to do it and I can't put my finger on what's happened in the last week - I haven't got a clue.

"We all think we're good enough to beat New Zealand, we did last week twice in four days, so it's a case of going out and trying to turn this series around in 24 hours."