Pietersen attempts to set record straight

They might be close mates off the field, but the fierce playing rivalry between Melbourne Stars signing Kevin Pietersen and Shane Warne is still very much bubbling away, despite the fact that both of their Test careers appear finished.

Speaking exclusively with cricket.com.au and bigbash.com.au during his ‘KP and the kids’ program, Pietersen was quick to correct suggestions he had told Warne that the great leg-spinner would never bowl him around his legs, only days before Warne did exactly that during the famous ‘Amazing Adelaide’ Test in December 2006.

Quick Single: Watch ‘KP and the kids’ here

“What I said to Shane Warne was that he would never bowl me (from) around the wicket, around my legs,” Pietersen clarified.

“Whenever a leg-spinner goes around the wicket and bowls into the rough, it’s negative bowling.

“Warnie always said to me it was positive bowling, (and) he always bowls to take wickets.

“This was the second innings, after I got 150 in the first innings, and I just played a rubbish shot (when he was bowled) – I was trying to get off strike and clearly he has bowled me around my legs, which is fine, he’s attacking the stumps.

“But I didn’t think that bowling around the wicket – and I’ll never, ever have it from him – that it’s positive bowling, when as a leg-spinner you’re coming around (the wicket) and just bowling it into the rough.

“I remember for about 20 minutes (in the first innings) Warnie did that, and I just put my pad there and just played with my pad.

“But has he bowled me around my legs? He has.

“Does he dine out on it? Yep.

“Does he still dine out on it? Yep.

“Are we still talking about it 10 years later?

“Yep. It’s not true.”

True to form, Warne, in his role as a commentator with Nine’s Wide World of Sports team, was re-living the moment earlier today with fellow commentator Mark Nicholas before play began in the Test match at Adelaide Oval.

“Didn’t you nominate that (happening)?” Nicholas asked Warne after the footage was aired.

“Well look, I was having dinner the night before with Michael Clarke, and he said, ‘How are you getting KP out?’” Warne recalled.

“I said, ‘Well I might try to bowl him round his legs, because he’ll come out and play a big sweep first up, and we managed to get one.”

Meanwhile Pietersen, who touched down in Australia on Monday ahead of his KFC T20 Big Bash League campaign with the Stars, will play a T20 grade cricket match with Monash Tigers against St Kilda in Melbourne tomorrow (Saturday).

“This is brilliant for Victorian Cricket,” said Stars chief executive Clint Cooper. “Having a world-class superstar playing on our doorstep is very exciting.

“There will be plenty of attention on this fixture now and we hope that Victorian and more particularly the City of Monash fans get behind Kevin and turn up in droves.”

The match will be played at Central Reserve, Glen Waverley, from 2.30pm. Entry is free.

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Pietersen will turn out for Monash Tigers in a grade T20 match // Getty Images