By IANS,
London : Kevin Pietersen Sunday said he has “unfinished business’ as England captain following his resignation last week.
The South Africa-born batsman, however, said he will back new captain Andrew Strauss.
“I feel I’ve got unfinished business as captain of England – I definitely feel that,” Pietersen was quoted as saying in Daily Telegraph.
“But right now, I feel it is right for me to go back and just play — to do something that I totally, totally love, which is scoring runs and more runs for England.”
Pietersen also denied claims that he has a strained relationship with team-mate Andrew Flintoff, saying the all-rounder had pleaded him to stay as a skipper.
“My relationship with Freddie was great and towards the end I sat down with him and I said ‘Mate, this is what is going on’.”
“I explained about the meetings I had had with the management over the situation with the coach.
“We had a good chat and Freddie’s parting words were, ‘You cannot leave as England captain’.”
Pietersen, however, is determined not to let the disappointment of no longer leading his country affect his form.
“I will get up every day and I’ll smile and do whatever I can to win games for England and keep putting the smiles on the public’s faces because I know how much people love watching me bat and that’s the kind of stuff that turns me on,” he said.
“People talk about my ego as if it’s out of control. But if I had any kind of ego, I would have held on to the captaincy and taken all the privileges that go with it and all the perks.
“What hurts me was the character assassination that has been totally unfounded. And that is the reason why I want to get my story across so that people can understand that I have done absolutely nothing wrong.”
Pietersen last Wednesday resigned as England captain and coach Peter Moores was sacked after a breakdown in their relationship.