Kevin Pietersen has vowed to prove how much playing for his country means to him by winning the ODI series against West Indies.
Star batsman determined to finish tour with a flourish
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has vowed to prove how much playing for his country means to him by winning the one-day series against West Indies on Friday.
The England and Hampshire star has been embroiled in controversy in recent days after admitting to the
Daily Mail that he was "at the end of his tether" and "couldn't wait to get home" from the current tour of the Caribbean.
A back injury against the Windies in the fourth ODI in Barbados re-ignited doubts over Pietersen's commitment; however the 26-year-old has since been cleared for the winner-takes-all decider in St Lucia.
A win in Friday's encounter at the Beausejour Stadium would see England come from 2-1 down to win the ODI series 3-2 and finish a so far forgettable and cheerless tour of the West Indies with a flourish.
And Pietersen, despite only averaging 10.66 and facing just 50 balls in the series so far, has underlined his determination to put his previous frustrations to one side with a match-winning performance on Friday.
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"Everybody on the tour wants to go home, everybody wants to see their families but what wasn't written was how dedicated I am to playing for England and how much winning this game on Friday means to me and the team," he said.
"What never came out (in the interview) was how desperate I am to win and how desperate I am to win games for England.
"By saying I'm at the end of my tether last week was not a case of wanting to leave the tour.
"Everyone said I wanted to leave, but it's not that case at all. I love playing for England, it's a dream come true to play for England and I realise that every day."
Pietersen, born in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, admits he may also have to accept his African roots may never make him as popular with England fans as other less-talented players.
Desperate
Despite averaging 51 in 50 Tests for England and 46 in 91 ODIs, Pietersen has been the subject of fierce criticism following his recent comments and he conceded it was a situation which was a constant in his career.
"I think I'm going to have to live with that (SA roots) my whole career," he said.
"I lived with that on Friday when we played a poor game of cricket and I got comments about South Africa so I'm going to have to live with that and I've dealt with that.
"I deal with that on a daily basis and that's just the way it is, unfortunately.
"I think what people shouldn't have a go at me about is my commitment to England, how much I want to win for England and how well I want to do for England.
"My stats so far in my career prove how desperate I am to do well for England."
