CRICKET: Shane Warne has confirmed he did receive a "joking" inquiry from Kevin Pietersen about his availability to coach England but has made it clear he has no pressing interest in the position.
Following the sacking of Peter Moores, reports surfaced in Australia yesterday that Pietersen, who resigned as England captain and was replaced by Andrew Strauss, had previously asked his friend and former Hampshire team-mate Warne if the coach's job appealed to him.
The Australian master leg-spinner does not appear to have taken Pietersen's approach especially seriously.
"Yes, KP dipped his toe in the water jokingly," said Warne in his London Times column.
He does not entirely rule out the prospect of coaching England, or any other country, but hints the terms of employment would need to be very substantial to tempt him back to a life of constant international travel after his recent retirement as a player.
"I have enjoyed coaching and managing the Rajasthan Royals (in the Indian Premier League), but that is for a couple of months a year," added the 39-year-old.
"I could not give a full-time position the time required to do the job. In any case, following a team around the world is what I have given up. If that is what I wanted, I would still be a player.
"But - and we all have this 'but' in life - if an offer comes that sounds too good to be true, I would have to stop and think."
Warne nominates another Australian as the best candidate to succeed Moores.
He believes ex-Yorkshire captain Darren Lehmann has the ideal credentials.
"I'd like to throw in the name of an Australian who would do a really good job; not SK Warne, but Darren Lehmann.
"As a player, he did wonders for Yorkshire and had the respect of everyone. Now he has moved into coaching. He would be great at installing confidence right across the board, through the players, the England and Wales Cricket Board, sponsors, supporters ... everybody."
As for Pietersen, Warne has no doubt he will return with a vengeance and make a nonsense of suggestions he will have a reduced appetite for making runs for England.
"I think that teams are in for a Pietersen backlash," Warne predicts. "Anybody who thinks he will lose interest and sulk does not know the guy. He will be more determined than ever to prove himself the number one batsman in the world."
Warne does concede Pietersen may well be feeling chastened as he prepares for England's tour of the West Indies over the next three months, and the Ashes this summer.
"He's obviously got a pretty big ego as well, so that will be dented a bit," he told Melbourne newspaper The Age.
"But he's also got the ability, no matter what's going on, to perform.
"One thing is for sure. England needs Kevin Pietersen. He's their best player and one of the best players in the world and England needs him to perform.
"This situation will stir his emotions. He'll be bitterly disappointed at the lack of support from the England Cricket Board and I'm sure this will drive him to become an even stronger player.
"Come the Ashes, beware of Kevin Pietersen because he could lift his game to another level."
-PA