Oz media hails 'cocky' Pietersen as 'closest character to rock star' Test cricket possesses

The Australian media has hailed star England batsman Kevin Pietersen as being the 'closest character to a rock star' possessed by Test cricket, which is the most unglamorous form of the game.

According to News.com.au, Pietersen, who arrived as a cocky teenager bowling off-spin and batting at number eight in the 2005 Ashes, has become one of the all-time greats of his adopted country with his 7887 runs at 48 with 23 hundreds, just two less than his captain Alastair Cook.

The report mentioned that Test cricket has become all the more better with the presence of Pietersen, who is the closest thing to a rock star that the game possesses, for all his faults and foibles.

The report further said that Pietersen is the antithesis of his captain, an accumulator of no great style or flare who wears the opposition down, adding that the way Pietersen has created his statistics stands out more than his actual records.

According to the report, Pietersen bludgeons opponents and makes it clear that he is out to rule the world from the moment he steps out of the dressing room with that arrogant swagger, which he describes as confidence.

Meanwhile, Pietersen is reportedly unsure as to whether he is treated differently in the English camp because of his South African heritage, the report added.