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This is first of a new regular series of coaching questions PitchVision Academy put to Kevin Pietersen during the filming of Keep Calm and Smash It.  Here is what KP said when we asked: Who is the best coach in the world?

The key to batting early on is more about the shots you don’t play more than the ones you do.

From the opposition’s point of view, bowling with the new ball at new batsman and not making them play is wasting the chance to get wickets.

So as a batsman you must forget what shot to play next, and just consider what shots you aren’t going to play.

Preparation is the key; before you even face your first ball of the innings you must decide to play it safe, at least to start. 

If you are in the UK and play or coach club cricket, this will be interesting to you.

The Cricket Resource Show is at the Oval this weekend (28^th January) and it’s going to be packed with ideas for you to use this coming season, including PitchVision.

There are sections to help you raise funds through your club, get vital training and ground equipment, playing gear and merchandise: everything under one roof so you can explore.

Not being able to score runs is painful. I’m sure you have experienced something similar to Kevin Pietersen and his slump as England play Pakistan.

59 runs in 6 innings? Awful; especially when you decide the best form of defence is attack and hook straight down deep square leg’s throat.

So what are KP and his coaches Andy Flower and Graham Gooch going to do about it?

This week’s winner of the Cricket Show podcast question competition is Abhishek.  He wins a free coaching course from PitchVision Academy.

With Burners on holiday, David Hinchliffe and Mark Garaway get to discuss what it was like seeing Kevin Pietersen up close during filming at the Oval. You can see the results here.

The team also discuss the Ranji Trophy final and rant about writing people off too early.

Plus we answer your questions on how leg spinners and wicketkeepers can work together and how to look after a young talented fast bowler like Pat Cummins.

 We have all b

If you are coming to PitchVision for the first time from the Daily Telegraph, then welcome. You can start here to find your way around the site.

During a break in the filming of Kevin Pietersen’s coaching course, KP and I got to chatting about fitness training.

He said he spent a lot of his gym time working on his core. It wasn’t just so he could look good on the beach between Tests. He knows instinctively that the core is crucial to batting power.

That’s because timing and power with the bat are all based on the ability to transfer your weight from the ground, through your body and into the ball.