KP's just like me, says Viv

The cricket world continues to fall at

Kevin Pietersen’s feet at a spectacular rate.

Yesterday, he hurtled into the global Test

rankings all-time-great category and was also

acclaimed as an "artist" by Sir Vivian Richards.

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His 226 against West Indies at Headingley

meant England’s imperious No 4 became

only the 21st player — out of 2,486 — to pass

900 points in the LG ICC Test batting charts.

Pietersen, 26, has now scored 2,448 runs at an

average of 54.4 in his first 25 Tests, second

only to Sir Don Bradman (3,194 at 91.2).

But he remains third in

the world rankings for

now, with Ricky Ponting

and Mohammad Yousuf

first and second.

However, more prolific

run-scoring in the

remaining two npower

Tests against the

lightweight West Indies

attack could propel

him to the top.

His sensational feats

have caught the

imagination of

Richards, the

legendary Antiguan

batsman who was

named as one of

Wisden’s five Cricketers

of the 20th century.

He

can see something of

himself in Pietersen’s

game and there can be

no higher praise.

"In my opinion he’s an

artist, because it isn’t

just anybody who can

go out and do things

like that," said Sir Viv.

"He can hit the ball

where he wants and

that’s what batsmanship

is about. He can

improvise and he is not

constricted by where

the ball is bowled.

"He is on the path to

greatness as long as he

continues doing the

things he is doing.

Sometimes when I

played a certain shot it

would take the bowler’s

breath away and I think

he’s doing the same

sort of thing.

"When I first came to

England there were

lots of people who used

to say: 'Viv hits across

the line'.

"Now there’s an English

guy who is doing the

same and everyone

loves it because he is

scoring runs.

"Even when you reach

your peak as a batsman

there is room for you

to experiment. Kevin

sometimes finds it easy

and he likes to try new

things. I say good luck

to the man because

that’s why he is so

entertaining."