'The crowds are back to see positive cricket' - Kevin Pietersen hails SA20's impact on South African cricket

South Africa clinched the recently contested ODI series against England to keep their hopes alive of direct qualification to the 50-over World Cup later this year. Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen spoke about his involvement in the three-match series and the impact of the ongoing SA20 on the spectators in the country.

Former England cricketer and one of the most loved cricketing personalities, Kevin Pietersen has lauded the impact of the inaugural edition of SA20 on South African cricket. Pietersen, who is part of the commentary team for the T20 tournament, is pleased with the response of the crowd to the competition.

“[The Proteas] rode the crest of the wave that the SA20 has provided. They could have had a wobble against England, there were times in both of the first two matches where it could have gone either way, but 2-1 was a fair reflection on the series in the end. Something has definitely happened in the country in the last few weeks and it’s so good to see.

“The crowds are back and people are coming out to see positive cricket. For the players, broadcasters, administrators and everybody else, it’s so good to see the grass banks full of enthusiastic supporters.The ODI series was excellent, with South Africa having that bit between their teeth with World Cup qualification on the line,” Pietersen wrote for Betway.

The one thing that stood out to me is how supportive they all are of each other: Pietersen

Talking about the England dressing room, the former English international was pleased to see the way the current English players back each other. He was pleasantly surprised with the support and respect the players showed each other, a concept which was 'alien' to the English players during his time. He loved his time with the current crop of players and is looking forward to spending more time with them in the near future.

“I got a message from Jos Buttler asking me whether I’d be interested in going to speak with the England squad before the ODI series last week. It was brilliant to get an outsider’s perspective on the culture and how they’ve transformed the shortest form of the game. The one thing that stood out to me is how supportive they all are of each other. That was an alien concept when I was involved when everybody was just doing what they did for themselves. It’s so refreshing," the Pietermaritzburg-born added.

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