Pietersen sharpens England focus

Kevin Pietersen believes England must be on their toes whoever Australia select in the Ashes

Kevin Pietersen has warned England to beware the threat of Australia in this week's opening Ashes Test despite the tourists having lost the nucleus of the line-up which completed a series whitewash the last time the sides met.

The Hampshire batsman has suffered fluctuating fortunes in the two Ashes series he has played in, enjoying England's stunning triumph in 2005 and then being part of the side who suffered defeat Down Under in 2006-07.

During both those series he got used to seeing an Australia team-sheet including names like Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, who helped them dominate world cricket in all forms of the game for over a decade.

All six of those major figures have now retired, however, and England will face an unfamiliar line-up when the opening Test in Cardiff begins on Wednesday.

"Any team that loses Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist and Martyn are not going to be as strong because those guys are as close to legends of the game as you can possibly get and some of them are legends of the game," explained Pietersen.

"This team is going to be weakened but the Australian way is to come out and be fierce, be competitive and be dominant in what they do.

"It doesn't matter who they put out, it's going to be tough for us to go out there and do the business.

“We can't talk about who they don't have or who they have got because when those guys pull on that baggy green cap, which is so historic to them, they are a fierce, fierce side - three months ago they beat South Africa in South Africa so this team is a good team.

"It will be a big, big series because they have got some very good players in their side and we’re also going to come out hard and come out fighting because we're not scared."

England have tried to play down the importance of the series and Pietersen and company have attempted to shut out the frenzied build-up to what is the highlight of the summer for most cricket fans.

"It's a game of cricket between two teams that want to win, the same as if we play South Africa and the same as we play every week," he added.

"The simpler you try to keep each game, each session and each ball the better and more equipped you are to be successful.”