Pietersen and Ponting's revealing Big Bash chat

Kevin Pietersen has claimed England's one-day team captain Eoin Morgan "would love" to have him back in the team, and is batting as well as he ever has.

Pietersen was forthright and revealing in a wide-ranging 25-minute chat with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting during commentary on the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat KFC T20 Big Bash League clash tonight.

Ponting grilled Pietersen on the reasons behind his autobiography, his fall-outs with former England teammates and the England and Wales Cricket Board management, his switch from his native South Africa to England and his World Cup ambitions.

"I know that the current captain would love to have me in the England team," said Pietersen.

Morgan was recently appointed England's one-day captain after the ECB was moved to sack Test skipper Alastair Cook from the role after a string of failures with the bat.

"Who knows? I don't see why not. I'm hitting it OK and I get on pretty well with most of the guys in there, if not all of them," added Pietersen.

"I want to play for England; if I get the opportunity to play for England I will.

"I'm 34 years of age; Kumar Sangakkara is 38 and he's just scored a double hundred.

"I honestly believe that I'm batting as well as I've ever batted at the moment. I've got over my knee injury which is huge.

"Over the last 18 months I've just hated batting, just because my knee has been so sore.

"I love playing cricket at the moment so given half an opportunity to go and play [in the World Cup], the way I'm playing at the moment, of course I would.

Image Id: ~/media/8FA3205E1A0849B991DF28A6B099BAFD

Punter and KP on Big Bash League commentary // Channel 10

"The frustrating thing for me is that I'll be sitting on my sofa watching a series and I'll get a message from a couple of youngsters in the side saying 'what shall I do tomorrow – how should I play?'

"That for me is quite sad because I'd prefer to be standing at the other end, or training with these guys, saying this is how we should and shouldn't do it."

Pietersen turned the tables at points during the interview, asking Ponting: "Would you select me, Punter, if you were an England selector?"

"I think you'd be in England's best one-day team for a World Cup, yeah," Ponting said.

"I"m a great believe in having the right balance between youth and experience around big tournaments," the Australian added.

The pair also engaged in some banter about dressing room personalities in the England team, leaving the viewer to decipher their exchange over the "biggest egos".

"I saw myself as confident in my ability and my training, confident in everything I did," Pietersen said before asking Ponting to nominate the most arrogant England cricketers he faced.

Ponting replied with "a certain right-arm off-spinner" followed by a "man who fields behind the stumps, wears a bit of protection" and "a couple of fast bowlers".

Pietersen was sacked by England in the wake of last summer's Ashes whitewash and insists he has the ability and experience to add to his 104 Test and 136 ODI caps.

Quizzed by Ponting for his opinion on the various captains he played under, Pietersen singled out 2005 Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan.

"Vaughan was brilliant, the messages that he delivered were on key and he didn't give out too many," Pietersen said.

"He liked free spirits and understood players who could win him games.

"It was good man-management – you should treat everybody individually, try and get the best out of your individuals in the team.

"It takes all types to win games and you've got to get the best out of all types in all different circumstances. That's leadership.

"[Andrew] Strauss and I were tight buddies, really tight buddies, but then one gets the captaincy ... We had bits and pieces that went on and I don't think he liked some of the things I said.

"I actually think Straussy and will be ok. I've seen him a couple of times on the golf course. Straussy and I will be absolutely fine. I don't think there is any issues there. Like happens occasionally some people just fall out.

"It is what it is. Things will be ok, Straussy is a good man, I love Straussy."