Aussies just a one-man team: Pietersen

"If it wasn't for Shane Warne in that Australia team then we would have won the Ashes 4-1," the dashing stroke-player said.

Paying back their Ashes rivals in same coins, England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said Australia were just a one-man team relying on Shane Warne.

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Pietersen hit back on Australia's opening batsman Matthew Hayden's recent claims that England was carried by star all rounder Andrew Flintoff.

"If it wasn't for Shane Warne in that Australia team then we would have won the Ashes 4-1," Pietersen said in reference to Warne's 40-wicket haul during last year's 2-1 series win to England.

"He probably had a bigger influence on Australia than Freddie did on England. I've heard that line about Freddie carrying the team before, but you can name every player and they did a job for England in that series," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Press Association.

Pietersen also said such bantering was a god build-up for their traditional rivalry.

"We are just waiting for another Australian to make a comment now. It is all good banter adding to the build-up for what will be an amazing series," he said.