Rahul Dravid helped me improve my game: Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen struggled to get along with most of the coaches when he played for England and did not get adequate help in dealing with spin bowlers, until he received an e-mail from Rahul Dravid. In his autobiography 'KP', Pietersen referred repeatedly to a message sent by the Indian batting legend, advising him on how to play spin bowlers, which made a massive difference to his career.

"Rahul was a great and heroic Indian batsman in his day. He is also a genius at dealing with spin bowlers. Our conversations and emails were a private masterclass from a genuine guru," Pietersen stated in the book. "Rahul improved my cricket and helped me develop the way I think about the game. His generosity will stay with me always."

In the email quoted by Pietersen, Dravid referred to him as a "champ" and went on to give him a pep talk: "KP, you are a really good player, you need to watch the ball and trust yourself... Don't let anyone tell you that you can't play spin, I have seen you and you can!"

Pietersen mentioned in his book that he read the email often and it always brought a smile to his face. "My playing of spin has gone up a number of levels since I've spent time in the IPL, and in particular, since I've spoken to Rahul Dravid... In England, batsmen get taught to play with the spin against spin bowlers. In India, the best players of spin get taught to play against it."

The South African-born cricketer created quite a stir with claims of bullying within the English dressing room, led by the then coach Andy Flower. It led to England captain, Alastair Cook accusing him of tarnishing a successful era for the squad.

In his autobiography, Pietersen was outspoken about the unfriendliness of his team-mates and was all praise for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the "adrenalin rush" and its atmosphere for bonding.

"The IPL is the future... I could talk about money and the IPL all day to you, but for the friendships alone I would play for free," write the Delhi Daredevils player. "I've built all my relationships with foreign cricketers while in the IPL. That doesn't help in the England dressing room... there are not many of those friendships."

Pietersen also claimed that the general culture towards the game of cricket was better in the sub-continent and described Indian players as "free spirits" who truly love cricket.

"There is a culture in India that appreciates if you double down and go for the big shot. It's a game of cricket, not economics. Not life or death. Take a risk. IPL crowds don't want to see you batting out singles as you pick and choose which balls to hit. Life is too short," he wrote.

Pietersen's England team career effectively ended in February this year when his central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was terminated. In the book, he expressed a desire to return to Test cricket and said he would "jump at the chance" to play for England again. However, IPL is where he seemed to have found his true home: "The IPL is professionalism taken to its logical extreme. All the bullshit and hypocrisy have been turned off."