Buzz Up Ashes: KP says it's time for a hero

Injured England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that with the fifth and final Ashes Test taking place next week, it is time for somebody to stand up and be counted.

In an article for News of The World, KP says: "It's time for a hero. This has to be a week when every single England player looks in the mirror and asks: Do I want to be hero? Because it's there for the taking, the chance to be the nation's saviour."

KP further asks: "What could be more important than the match which will decide the Ashes? And what better opportunity for somebody to become England's hero?

"The players selected this morning have an opportunity to emulate Freddie and to carve their names in history as the men who fought back against the odds and delivered when the country demanded it the most. To me, that would be the most exciting thing in the world," says KP. It won't matter how many Test centuries you've scored or how many five-fers you've taken, the only thing that counts is what you do in the final Test when the Ashes depend on it," he says.

He also says that this is a time for calm assessment and not for distractions.

"So, my advice to the boys is to switch off the TV and the radio, concentrate on what they've got to do against the Aussies and focus on nothing else . . . because nothing else matters," he says.

He said that he would be visiting the dressing room on Thursday morning for a an hour or so "to see if the lads are smiling and to let them abuse me for a while. I won't be telling them what to do or how to do it because that's not my job."