Pietersen brands Buchanan 'a nobody'

Kevin Pietersen has branded John Buchanan, the former Australia coach and occasional advisor to the ECB, as 'a nobody' following comments that Pietersen could be a divisive factor during the Ashes tour.

In a recent magazine interview Buchanan, who was brought in by the ECB to offer insight on the Australians before the Ashes, said Pietersen could be "individualist and fragmentary" if his form didn't improve. Andy Flower, the England coach, responded to the comments by predicting great things from Pietersen during the Ashes and saying that Buchanan wasn't part of England's inner circle but the man himself was even more dismissive.

"I didn't react to it because it was strange that he made headlines," Pietersen said. "I'm not interested in what he has to say. Who is he? He's a nobody.

"He had the best team to coach in the history of cricket. Anyone could have coached that team. He has done nothing else solid so I won't even take it with a pinch of salt."

Still, Pietersen is under pressure heading into the tour after a lean period where he has only hit one hundred at any level since March 2009. In a quest to regain some touch before facing Australia he arranged to join the Dolphins in South Africa but his short stint was restricted to two innings where he made 36 and 0, so the three warm-up games in Australia are looming as crucial in Pietersen's preparation.

Despite only getting two hits in South Africa, Pietersen believes the time spent with Graham Ford - the Dolphins coach and a long-time mentor - will prove invaluable. "Graham Ford was brilliant for my confidence. He knows how to get the best out of me," he said at the launch of his latest Brylcreem product in London. "I did some amazing work with him and absolutely loved it. I rekindled some shots out of my old style of play.

"I'm really looking forward to the series and I'll be full of confidence that I'll do well. I am going to go out there and get some runs. I'd love to post a big score in the first Test. I've done it before so why not again? I love playing Australia."

However, Pietersen has admitted being one of the players unhappy with Flower's decision to ban WAGs for the first five weeks of the tour. The players' wives and girlfriends will only be allowed to join the trip following the second Test and Pietersen, who has talked in the past about not wanting to be away from his wife and young child, made his opposition clear.

"I didn't react too well to it but it's not something I'm prepared to get involved in," he said. "I respect Andy Flower's decision. I have to respect it."