Matt Prior: We must regain our unity or Kevin Pietersen's return will be wasted

 
P47 NEW CROP GALLE, SRI LANKA - MARCH 24: Kevin Pietersen of England has a bat watched by Matt Prior of England during the England nets session at Galle International Cricket Stadium on March 24, 2012 in Galle, Sri Lanka.
Tom Collomosse19 October 2012

Matt Prior today welcomed Kevin Pietersen back into the England set-up after holding talks with the controversial batsman this week but had a stark warning for the squad about the need to rebuild team spirit.

Prior was one of a number of senior players to meet Pietersen, whose return for the tour of India was confirmed yesterday, as part of the 32-year-old’s ‘reintegration’ process.

Pietersen had been in exile since he was dropped for sending provocative texts about former captain Andrew Strauss to South Africa players during the Second Test at Headingley in August. Prior knows Pietersen’s recall improves the side but sought to emphasise that little would be achieved this winter if England cannot recapture the unity that characterised their march to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

“When Kevin is in our team and pulling in the same direction it makes us stronger,” Prior told Standard Sport. “You can’t argue with that, so it’s great news, and Kevin’s role in the side doesn’t stop at scoring runs.

“He’s a senior player, one of the most experienced when you think about the time he’s spent in India playing for England and in the IPL (Indian Premier League), so he’s got a huge amount of responsibility off the field to help the less-experienced guys out. I’m sure he’s looking forward to playing that role.

“I met him this week. It was very, very positive and I’m really looking forward to him being back in the team but it’s not about one bloke. It’s important we get back to being a team. We get on the plane together and we try to win in India together — that’s the vital thing.

“Getting a good and genuine team spirit is never easy, which is why when you have it you have to look after it. It’s so precious and it’s a very powerful thing. In tough matches and series, your spirit and ethic can get you over the line.

“I’m certain we’ll get it back. Sometimes when you face hardship, it forces you to look at things. Maybe we’ve got sloppy in a few areas and we need to guard against that and keep protecting all we have, because this team are still capable of doing special things.”

If there are any chinks in England’s armour, they are likely to be exploited by India, a team traditionally very difficult to beat in their own conditions.

England have won only one Test there in the last two decades and even during this team’s period at the top of the standings, they struggled to master Asian conditions. A 3-0 whitewash by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in January and February this year preceded a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka in spring, when a brilliant century from Pietersen set up victory in Colombo.

Prior’s last Test tour of India was the 1-0 defeat in a two-match series that came during Pietersen’s brief time as captain, and the wicketkeeper believes it is the most difficult assignment on the calendar for an England cricketer.

Speaking at Chance To Shine’s Brit Insurance awards, he said: “I would agree it’s the most demanding. Sri Lanka is the hardest in terms of climate, but for the all-round package, India is a very tough place in which to win.

“But that’s not an excuse. It’s a great challenge for us because you want to test yourselves in these conditions against the best players. I’m really ­looking forward to it and to seeing how far this team can go.

“We’ve beaten Australia in Australia and we’ve got to the No1 spot, which we want to regain after losing it to South Africa. To win in the subcontinent would be a huge achievement and the one thing we still have to tick off the list in Test cricket.”

The new captain, Alastair Cook, could be forgiven for wishing for a gentler introduction to full-time Test leadership. The opener was skipper for the tour of Bangladesh early in 2010, when Strauss was rested, but India will be an altogether trickier proposition.

Cook can draw on his success in the one-day arena, in which he has guided an improving England side to the top of the rankings but there is nothing quite like Test captaincy on an arduous tour. Prior is confident, however, that Cook’s time spent working with Strauss will leave him well-equipped for the role.

“He was always very close to Straussy when he was vice-captain and learned a lot from him,” Prior added. “He’s a strong character who will lead from the front but he’ll do it his way.

“These are exciting times and we need to draw a line under what’s happened, not just this summer but over the last couple of years. We start again, rebuild and see how far we can get.”

Matt Prior was supporting Chance To Shine, the campaign to bring cricket and its educational benefits back to schools. To make a donation visit chancetoshine.org

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