KP feels 'playing with freedom' will be key for England to win 2015 CWC

Despite England's dreadful record in the last five Cricket World Cups, sacked batsman Kevin Pietersen believes that his former teammates can win the coveted tournament this year if they play with freedom.

Since reaching the final of the 1992 World Cup, where they lost to Pakistan, England's form at the elite showdown is the worst of the frontline cricketing nations.

England has won 16 matches since 1992, compared to four-times champions Australia's 38 and better only than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and they are also the only leading nation not to have qualified for at least one semifinal in that time, Stuff.co.nz reported.

However, Pietersen, England's leading World Cup scorer with 575 runs for 13 innings still only the 31st best of all nations, said ahead of his former team's World Cup opener against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday that a lack of expectation could work in their favour.

Pietersen said that he really does believe that England has an outside chance of winning this World Cup, adding that they can play with freedom because nobody really expects them to win the tournament and claimed that this should be reflected in positivity throughout their batting.

The former England batsman said that the nation has struggled in World Cups for 20 years because they have played directly after an Ashes and have been mentally shot, adding that there are no excuses this time.

Currently, England are playing their World Cup opener against Australia, who have posted a target of 343 runs against Eoin Morgan's side to win, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.