CRICKET: In a sensational week for English cricket Kevin Pietersen has given his full backing to new captain Andrew Strauss but the South African-born batsman also declared he has "unfinished business" as captain of England.
While giving his full backing to Strauss and repeated his commitment to the England team Pietersen also said Andrew Flintoff pleaded with him to stay as skipper.
"I feel I've got unfinished business as captain of England - I definitely feel that," said Pietersen in today's News of the World.
"But right now, I feel it is right for me to go back and just play - to do something that I totally, totally love, which is scoring runs and more runs for England."
On Wednesday Pietersen resigned as England captain and coach Peter Moores was sacked after a breakdown in their relationship.
The England and Wales Cricket Board admitted there was a split in the dressing room, and the next day handed Strauss the captaincy and the job of healing the rifts.
The Middlesex opener has since also been given the job of skippering his country's limited-overs team for the upcoming tour to the West Indies and it has also been announced there will be no interim coach for the Caribbean.
Pietersen, however, is determined not to let the disappointment of no longer leading his country affect his form.
He said: "I will get up every day and I'll smile and do whatever I can to win games of cricket for England and keep putting the smiles on the public's faces because I know how much people love watching me bat and that's the kind of stuff that turns me on."
Many commentators have said Pietersen possesses an arrogant streak which ultimately led to his downfall.
However, the 28-year-old Hampshire batsman said such allegations were wide of the mark.
"People talk about my ego as if it's out of control," he said. "But if I had any kind of ego, I would have held on to the captaincy and taken all the privileges that go with it and all the perks.
"But I risked it all because I thought it was my duty to say things were not right. I risked it all because it was my duty as England captain to say this was how we should move forward.
"What hurts me was the character assassination that has been totally unfounded. And that is the reason why I want to get my story across so that people can understand that I have done absolutely nothing wrong."
Pietersen also denied claims that he has a strained relationship with team-mate Flintoff.
He said: "My relationship with Freddie was great and towards the end I sat down with him and I said 'Mate, this is what is going on'.
"I explained about the meetings I had had with the management over the situation with the coach.
"We had a good chat and Freddie's parting words were, 'You cannot leave as England captain'."