By Paul Newman Cricket Correspondent
Last updated at 11:34 PM on 20th May 2009
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1185062/Curse-IPL-KP-joins-crock-Freddie-Englands-injured-list.html
Kevin Pietersen was yesterday ruled out of England’s one-day series against West Indies.
An achilles injury that flared up during the second Test means Pietersen will miss the matches at Leeds, Bristol and Edgbaston over the next six days. It is hoped he will be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 on June 5.
Pietersen is the second England star who took part in the IPL to be ruled out of international duty. Andrew Flintoff missed the Test series against West Indies after flying back from the tournament with a knee injury.
Pietersen said: ‘I hate missing out on playing for England but understand that this is necessary. I’ll be watching and supporting the team closely.’ His absence makes it more likely that Eoin Morgan, the Irishman named in an England squad for the first time, will be able to bring his unique brand of audacity to the middle order.
Morgan, 22, played in the last World Cup for Ireland but has now completed his four-year qualification period with Middlesex and is competing with the returning Ian Bell for the final place in the England batting line-up in place of Pietersen today at Headingley.
If his fantastic 161 against Kent in this season’s Friends Provident Trophy is anything to go by, West Indies will have trouble setting a field for the left-handed Morgan, whose batting style, full of reverse sweeps, paddles and flicks, owes much to his formative
years in Ireland.
He said: ‘I read somewhere that whatever sport you play from the ages of about nine to 12 you take with you and it was just a coincidence that I played hurling at school and the natural grip is the reverse sweep.
‘It’s like a hockey stick only you use both sides of it. I’ve always looked to express Morgan is confident his experiences in the Caribbean two years ago with his home nation, who he was allowed to play for while qualifying for England because they are an associate country, will stand him in good stead at the higher level.
‘Just watching teams like South Africa prepare for games can help you and I’m sure I’ve learned a lot with Ireland,’ said Morgan.
‘But everyone at home always knew the path I was going to take and when I made my decision to play for England it was accepted straight away.’
Morgan’s former Ireland team-mates skittled Worcestershire for the lowest total in their one-day history as they knocked the Royals out of the Friends Provident Trophy at New Road yesterday.
The hosts had looked set to progress from Group A after dismissing Ireland for 152
