Strauss expects 'outstanding player' Pietersen to shine during Ashes series

Perth, Oct 31(ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has backed batting star Kevin Pietersen to shine during next month's tour of Australia.

Strauss said that he expects Pietersen to re-establish himself as one of the world's most feared batsmen during the Ashes series.

"It is crucial. He is an outstanding player, he is one of, if not the best player that I have ever played with, and his effect on the Ashes series is going to be very important," the Telegraph quoted Strauss, as saying.

"We all know what sort of character he is - the big-match temperament, the ability to take centre stage in important games which we saw in the Twenty20 World Cup not long ago."

"I expect him to have a big and positive role to play on this tour," he added.

The South African born batsman has averaged just 36.90 since the start of the 2009 Ashes series and has not made a Test hundred since March last year.

England's tour of Australia gets under way on November 5 with a warm-up game against Western Australia.

The first of the five Ashes Tests will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane from November 25 to 29.

It will be followed by Tests in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

The tour also has two Twenty20 clashes and a seven-match ODI series. (ANI)