'Only Pietersen played me well' - Warne

Shane Warne has hit back at Duncan Fletcher's claims that the England batsmen played Warne very well in the first Test at the Gabba. Warne said Fletcher was desperately searching for positives to take into the second Test when he said his side was confident they had handled Warne effectively.

"I would disagree with that because Kevin [Pietersen] was the only one to play me well - even though I could have had him out twice," Warne wrote in the Herald Sun. "It's a real compliment for me and shows just how worried they are about spin. There are no secrets about England - they are searching for positives. Duncan is trying to build up a few players who aren't convinced and are really worried about me.

"I thought I had the better of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood. I got Bell out as planned - I set him up for a slider exactly the same way as last year. I am all over Ian Bell and he still can't pick my straight one. Collingwood is a fighter but he had some luck."

Warne believed nothing had changed in the England camp since before the series, despite talk about the improvement from several players. But he said Australia were still wary of Pietersen's ability to quickly turn things in England's favour.

"Pietersen is a danger player if he gets on a roll," Warne said. "He can smash the quicks like he did and play some outrageous shots off the spin like he did against me. But it doesn't matter if Kevin slogs me out of the park for six sixes in an over - it's about winning and nothing else. I don't care if I get 0 for 80 and we win. Fletcher is missing the point there - it's all about winning."