Good old KP

As Kevin Pietersen prepares for his first Test series in the country of his birth, how does he cope with the booing that he encounters at every venue? It's not so well known, but a player who prides himself on not needing a batting coach does make use of his own personal psychologist - a man called Stan Betts.

I caught up with Betts in his local pub in Darwen, Lancashire. It was here that the two first met after Pietersen had stopped to ask directions to the Oval on his way from Hampshire. Betts takes up the story:

"He were an idiot and I told him so."

Pietersen recognised a sharp mind and fell into conversation with the retired greengrocer. Betts had played in the Lancashire leagues for many years, and as the hours ticked by, it dawned on Pietersen that here was someone who could help his career. Since then, Pietersen has regularly contacted the man he now considers his guru, asking for advice and assistance with the mental side of the game.

A recurring theme in their conversations is how Pietersen should deal with crowds, who are often quite vocal when he comes to the crease. During England's 2004 one-day series in South Africa, this wasn't an issue as the adrenaline surge seemed to power Pietersen on to ever greater things. However, in Tests this same reaction can lead to his downfall.

"He gets all het up and bats like a numpty," says Betts, referring to the England batsman's tendency to get carried away when well set.

So the pair cooked up an intriguing psychological tactic. Noting that Andrew Flintoff made use of an alter ego, "Freddie", who was a cricketing superhero who played without fear, they devised something similar.

Pietersen was asked last week how he felt about unfriendly crowds this week and answered, "I seem to enjoy it." This choice of the word "seem" was no accident, because Pietersen doesn't actually experience his own innings any more. Kevin Pietersen's batting alter ego is a weatherbeaten 80-year-old man called Ken. Betts describes Ken's character.

"He couldn't give a toss what anyone says about him. If folks don't like what he says or does, that's their problem. He hasn't got where he is today by wasting time worrying about other people all the damn time."

To help him maintain this persona, Pietersen now has a pint of mild during drinks breaks and smokes a woodbine during tea. However, the effect on his fitness is nothing compared to the bouts of arthritis he has started experiencing.

"Aye, he can't run round like he used to," says Betts. "The knees give him too much gyp. He forgets what he's doing sometimes as well. And one time, at the non-strikers end, he nodded off."

But Pietersen and his guru believe that these new frailities are outweighed by the many benefits of their innovative approach. Crowds can boo and jeer KP as much as they like. Ken just shrugs it off and sets about the bowling as if it's his last day on earth - which is apparently how he feels in the mornings these days, when the cold gets into the joints.