Kieswetter fighting fit after being caught in friendly fire
ENGLAND wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter insists he is ready for action despite arriving in India ahead of the upcoming one-day series late and sporting a badly bruised arm.
The South African-born opener was hit by a straight-drive from his batting partner Jos Buttler four days ago during Somerset’s Champions League Twenty20 semi-final defeat against Mumbai Indians.
But the 23-year-old is set to take part in England’s final warm-up game today against a Hyderabad CA XI ahead of the first contest of the five-match series against the 50 over world champions on Friday.
“I feel fighting fit,” he said. “I’m a bit of a late arrival with Somerset in the Champions League, but there’s no better preparation than being out in the middle playing.
“The tempo is a little bit different, but there’s no better method of preparation than being out there in the middle in a match environment.”
Kieswetter, an explosive hitter, may well have attracted the attention of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises for the next round of auctions early next year, but he insists he is in no hurry to fit in an IPL stint between club and country commitments.
“At this stage of my career I’d rather be playing for Somerset,” he added. “The IPL is a hell of a tournament to be playing in and playing against some of the IPL teams, we got a bit of a taste of what it is.
“It’s really addictive. I’d love to be part of it at some stage, but I haven’t thought about it in the short term.”