England are optimistic Kevin Pietersen will be fit to play in the third Ashes Test against Australia at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground starting Thursday.
Pietersen suffered a left calf injury during England’s crushing 347-run win in the second Test at Lord’s, which put the Ashes-holders 2-0 up in the five-match series with three to play.
Since then the 33-year-old Pietersen, arguably England’s most talented batsman, has undergone an intensive programme to regain full fitness.
And while no final decision has yet been made on whether he will be in the third Test side, England captain Alastair Cook was upbeat about his chances when speaking to reporters at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
“(He is) pretty good. He’s come through training the past two days and done everything that’s been asked of him,” Cook said.
“Clearly we have to make a decision tomorrow (Thursday) morning just in case he pulls up different to that, but we’ll see and we’re pretty hopeful.
“We don’t know quite how he’ll pull up from today’s (Wednesday’s) training, but he’s worked incredibly hard with the medical team over the last week to get himself right, so fingers crossed he has.”
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Defiant clarke battles to avoid dubious record
Michael Clarke said on Wednesday that Australia’s current losing streak will not curtail his Test career, as the tourists look to bounce back from two straight defeats in the third Ashes Test. The losses come on the back of a 4-0 series loss in India earlier this year, leaving Australia winless in six successive Tests — their worst run of results since a similarly dire streak against a powerful West Indies side back in 1984.
Five games into that run, a tearful Kim Hughes resigned as Australia captain. But Clarke said he had no intention of following suit — or calling time on his Test career any time soon. “I’m not retiring in the near future,” he said in Manchester, where the third Test starts at Old Trafford on Thursday. “I’m like every other player — you get frustrated that you don’t make as many runs as you would like and get frustrated that the team’s not having success but that only makes the challenge more exciting I guess.
“I want to help this team have success. I want to make sure I’m leading the way and scoring runs and I’m 32 and not 36, so luckily I’ve got a few years before I have that discussion.”
Clarke, who has has had to deal with a longstanding back complaint throughout his career, added: “I’m not ready to walk away from cricket. I love the game as much now as I ever have that’s for sure.” — AFP