Kevin Pietersen was ahead of his time in both mindset and skill. He pioneered the switch hit and was a vocal advocate for the IPL long before it gained mainstream acceptance.
From flamingo flicks through mid-wicket to clearing Glenn McGrath’s head for six at Lord’s in 2005, his repertoire defied convention.
None of these innovations would look out of place in today’s game.
Despite this, he never believed he had fully mastered the game.
In 2012, during Sri Lanka tour preparations at the SSC in Colombo, I arrived for a warm-up match to find Pietersen already an hour into practice against local left-arm spin, working to correct an intermittent technical flaw ironically monitored by Andy Flower.
That dedication culminated in a remarkable 151 against Rangana Herath in the second Test, attacking him from all angles, and later that year away scores in India that sealed a historic red-ball series victory, with his innings in Mumbai forming the foundation of the win.
Those runs, and the flair with which they were scored, would not have been possible without those unseen hours of practice.
His improvement was not a solitary pursuit. During the 2013-14 Ashes in Perth, as Mitchell Johnson terrorised batters, it was common to see a tailender visibly shaken at the prospect of facing him in the dressing-room corner.
I vividly recall Pietersen approaching me—despite my not being in the starting XI—and suggesting we practice facing short balls in the nets. He threw bouncers at my head and helped me develop a technique to handle, and largely evade, short-pitched bowling.
I doubt whether he simply wanted to escape the dressing room, but the session undoubtedly helped me.
I can see him offering the same support to players he identifies as needing improvement in his current mentoring role.
