LONDON // Kevin Pietersen's remarkable career took its latest and arguably most dramatic turn today when he was named the new England cricket captain.
The South African-born batsman will lead England in Test, one-day and Twenty20 matches, starting with the fourth Test against South Africa this week.
The appointment came a day after Michael Vaughan's sudden resignation and caps a remarkable rise for the 28-year-old Pietersen, who was viewed as the 'enfant terrible of English cricket when he made his debut against Australia three years ago.
He has since toned down his outspoken comments - and outrageous haircuts - to become one of the team's most reliable members. "In choosing a new captain, we were keen to identify a player who could lead the team in all three forms of cricket and bring fresh enthusiasm and ideas to the role of captain," the national selector Geoff Miller said. "Kevin is a world-class player who will command the respect of the dressing room and I am sure that he will be looking to lead from the front."
Pietersen, who was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg near Durban but has an English mother, is the eighth best batsman in the International Cricket Council's rankings and one of the few experienced players guaranteed a place in the side.
There is a danger that, like Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara before him, he could find that the burden of leadership hampers his batting style, but Pietersen is a famously focused and driven athlete who has made a career of meeting and exceeding high expectations. "If he takes to captaincy like he took to his batting, I don't foresee any problems at all," Mr Miller said.
Barracked by hostile crowds still upset that he had opted to play for England, Pietersen hit 454 from the middle order in seven one-day games on a winter tour of his native South Africa to force his way into the Test team for the 2005 Ashes series. Picked ahead of the reliable Graham Thorpe, who was one of just eight Englishmen to play 100 Tests for his country, Pietersen made his debut in the opening Test against Australia with a pair of half centuries. He then smashed 158 in the final Test at the Oval to earn the draw that clinched England the Ashes after a 16-year wait.
Big-hitting but increasingly selective in his choice of shots, Pietersen has compiled 13 hundreds and 11 half-centuries to move to 3,777 runs in 42 Tests at an impressive average of 50.36. "I am very thrilled and excited to have been given the opportunity to captain England," Pietersen said. "It's a huge honour for me and a terrific challenge for me at this stage of my international career."
Pietersen has three tons in his past seven Tests, including 152 in the series-opening draw against South Africa at Lord's. He got within six runs of another century in the last Test at Edgbaston, but could not help England avoid a loss that handed South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. It was that loss that prompted Vaughan to end his five-year tenure following a string of poor individual and team performances.
Although England won 26 of the 51 Tests under Vaughan's captaincy, he totalled just 40 runs in five innings in the South Africa series and was harshly criticised in British media after Saturday's five-wicket defeat. Vaughan, who has an impressive Test average of 41.44 from 82 matches, was replaced by Ravi Bopara for the final Test at the Oval, but hopes to return as a batsman for England for several more years.
But even before today's appointment, Pietersen was already set to lead England in this month's one-day international against Scotland, Twenty20 against South Africa and first ODI against South Africa because Paul Collingwood is banned for four games because of his team's slow over rate against New Zealand.
Collingwood followed Vaughan and resigned as limited-overs captain on Sunday, clearing the way for one on-field leader to take over in all forms of the game - something the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has long said is its preferred option.
Pietersen led England in June in a ODI against New Zealand for the first game of Collingwood's suspension, following Tony Greig, Allan Lamb and current Test opener Andrew Strauss as South African-born England captains. "I have learnt a great deal about leadership from playing under both Michael and Paul and fully appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with the job of captaining your country," Pietersen said.
Kevin Pietersen (captain), Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss. One-day squad: Kevin Pietersen (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.
*AP
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs
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Gearbox: 7-speed automatic
Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km
Price: Dh235,000
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20Profile
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The%20specs
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
