Joyce to follow Pietersen's example against Irish

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Mar 28 (Reuters) England's Ed Joyce said he would take inspiration from team mate Kevin Pietersen when he faced countrymen Ireland in the World Cup Super Eights match in Guyana on Friday.

Batsman Joyce, who helped Ireland qualify for their first World Cup before changing allegiance to England, said it would be ''a strange feeling'' playing against his former team mates.

Joyce, 28, cited the example of how the South Africa-born Pietersen went back to his homeland just after qualifying for England in 2004 and triumphed despite hostile crowds and bitter opponents.

Pietersen scored three hundreds and a 75 in the seven-match series.

'FIRED UP' ''KP didn't seem to find it difficult,'' Joyce told reporters at the team's Georgetown hotel.

''He got more fired up because of it and it helped him so it's something I've tried to take into my game. I haven't spoken to him about it but it's pretty obvious the way he was,'' Joyce added.

Joyce has not played for Ireland, whose team are chiefly made up of part-timers, for almost two years now. He said he had received criticism on Irish radio phone-ins but generally people had accepted his ambitious career switch.

England will be grateful of the knowledge he will bring when talking tactics prior to the match.

''We haven't had our team meeting yet but I have spoken to Mark Garraway, our analyst,'' Joyce said.

''I know a little bit about them and know where not to bowl, how much pace their guys bowl with, how much the spinners turn it,'' he added. ''(But) we've just got to get our basics right.'' Ireland coach Adrian Birrell, who used to coach Joyce in Ireland, is aware that there will not be too many secrets on either side.

''Ed played for Ireland until 2005 and was brought up with a lot of our players and would know our players very well so I don't think there will be too many secrets,'' Birrell told Reuters.

''Equally, we've been watching tapes of England from the Champions Trophy so we've seen them a lot more than they've seen us. That will be the case for every team we meet.'' REUTERS PDS BST0022