Kevin Pietersen promises not to use spot-fixing issue to sledge Pakistan

Kevin Pietersen has promised England will not use the issue of spot-fixing to
get under Pakistan's skin in the forthcoming Test series.

Pietersen is among those who were involved in the 2010 home series against Pakistan that erupted in controversy when newspaper allegations against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were printed.

Butt and Asif were ultimately sent to prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat, while Amir pleaded guilty and is currently in a young offenders' institute.

England's trip to the United Arab Emirates is the first time the sides have met in Test action since then, but Pietersen says the past will be left in the past once the sides take the field in Dubai tomorrow.

Pietersen told reporters: "There will not be an undercurrent about what happened in 2010. Not with our players - we've spoken about it and it will not happen at all with us.

"Of course there will still be on-field chat because we play our cricket very hard. There's no way Jimmy Anderson, who is a grumpy bowler, won't be grumpy.

"But there will be no hangover from the past."

Fast bowler Stuart Broad, meanwhile, admitted those involved against Pakistan are "still a little hurt" by the experience but believes the team will remain fully focused on matters in the middle.

"We all know what happened the last time we played Pakistan. A win at Lord's, one of the highlights of any cricketer's career, was turned into a very sour occasion," Broad wrote in a Daily Mail column.

"Nobody will start any problems but people are still a little hurt by it all so we want to get the job done here.

"We never want to see what happened in 2010 repeated so it's inevitable there will be some negative feelings. That summer's cricket and our hard work was tainted but having those sort of feelings will not distract us from the job in hand.

"There is history between the sides but it's important we as players don't get caught up in that. We just have to focus on what we do without taking away our aggressive approach."

Broad is expected to be fit for the first Test, despite badly bruising his left foot when he was hit in the nets yesterday by a yorker from his new-ball partner Anderson.

No scan was required, and Broad is confident he will be able to bowl in practice today.

PA