Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed disappointment at England's inability to produce a quality left-arm spinner like India’s Ravindra Jadeja.
”It frustrates me that there still isn’t an international-standard English left-arm spin bowler who bats. Look at what Ravindra Jadeja has done for India in Test match cricket, one-day cricket, and T20 cricket,” the South African born cricketer wrote on his blog for Betway.
“It’s the one position that the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) must be prioritising. They need to invest in somebody because someone of that ilk is priceless across all three formats,” Pietersen added.
Over the past few years, Jadeja has been one of the leading cricketers for India. In fact, the all-rounder has also been instrumental in helping the country win matches with his dynamic approach to the game.
Currently, Ravindra Jadeja sits at No. 3 in Tests as per the latest ICC all-rounder rankings. He was also recently seen exuding his pyrotechnics with the bat for Chennai in the now-suspended edition of the 2021 Indian T20 League.
The former flamboyant batsman also urged emerging English cricketers to emulate Jadeja’s style of play. Kevin Pietersen also explained how replicating Jadeja’s role can help the next generation extend their international careers.
“If you’re a kid, an emerging player or a county cricketer, copy Jadeja. Copy what Jadeja does because he’s an absolute superstar. You’ll have a long career as a Test match cricketer for England,” the 40-year-old concluded.
Interestingly during his playing days, Pietersen rarely appeared comfortable negotiating the left-arm spinners. He is also known to have famously nicknamed former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh as the ‘Pie-Chucker’.
Featured photo: Twitter / Kevin Pietersen
