Pietersen ignores critics

Kevin Pietersen is immune to critics outside the England team - because he has decided they are simply not worth listening to.

The South Africa-born batsman, set to continue his bid to reinvent himself as a one-day international opener against Pakistan on Saturday, will not be distracted by noises off stage from pundits or punters.

There was a time, he admits, when he courted adulation and took criticism hard - but times have changed for the 31-year-old. Pietersen said: "I'm absolutely not interested in it," he said. I used to be, but now I've got thick skin."

He added: "People can say what they want... but my skin now is very, very thick - very."

Some of the 'advice' does still get through, but Pietersen knows it should not be taken seriously.

He said: "It's quite funny the abuse we're getting on Twitter at the moment - 'Get back in the nets'.

"If [I] tweet anything about anything, [it's] 'Shouldn't you be in the nets?'

"It's like 'No, I can't be in the nets 24 hours in a day'.

"I have actually mentally got to try and get my head around things, and having a break away from things and coming back to things is actually quite a good thing.

"In the week I have got off with my wife and child [at the end of this tour], I won't be in the nets."