Gooch urges patience for misfiring KP
ENGLAND batting coach Graham Gooch insists he is not losing any sleep over Kevin Pietersen’s sluggish return to the international arena.
Pietersen is yet to post a big score since making his comeback from an Achilles injury, plundering just 85 runs from his five innings in South Africa.
Such form is a far cry from the swashbuckling performances that typified Pietersen’s ascent to the status of England’s top batsman.
But Gooch, who recalls his own fallow spells on the way to becoming the country’s highest ever run scorer, has not been surprised by the Hampshire man’s form.
And, ahead of the upcoming Test series against the Proteas, he believes it is only a matter of time before South Africa-born Pietersen is once again racking up the boundaries with devastating regularity.
“I think with any player, whatever their ability level, if you’ve been out of the game with injury, you’ve got to work hard to find your way back both mentally and physically,” said former England captain Gooch, who was brought back into the national set-up last week.
“Kevin has been a super performer for England since 2005. He’s been a match-winner, and I’m sure he will continue to be a match-winner. But, if you’ve been off for a while, it takes time.
“It’s not easy to just get yourself back into it. But, in his case, he’s been the mainstay of the England batting over the last four years, and I would expect him to continue.”