England gamble on KP's star quality

England cricket’s brave new world under Kevin Pietersen began with a win at the Brit Oval today with the converted South African predictably playing a starring role.

Pietersen’s first innings century was the stellar performance in a slightly low quality game and deservedly won him the man of the match award.

So far, so good for the bigwigs at Lord’s HQ.

But no one knows more than Pietersen and his predecessor Michael Vaughan that his success as a captain will come not in dead rubbers at the end of losing series, but in the greatest of sporting contests - the Ashes.

The all-action hero known as KP will not only need to be at his imperious best with the bat when the Aussies visit our shores next summer, he will also have to show a hitherto unproven tactical nous ability to motivate others to perform.

It was interesting that Vaughan’s go-to guy, his inspirational hero Andrew Flintoff, had – apart from a thumping six to win the game - a quiet test match in KP’s first outing in charge, with just one wicket in either innings and managed just 20 runs.

Captain or not, Pietersen will be no doubt inspire his adopted nation to numerous victories in the future with his sublime batting but it is when he is not firing and he has to rely on other that his leadership will be tested.

It is well documented that Vaughan’s batting was never quite the same once he maintained the captaincy mantle, as he seemed to pour so much of himself into others.

The challenge for Pietersen is to remain focused on keeping up his own high standards while at the same time helping others to improve their games.

The move from Vaughan to Pietersen is undoubtedly a change in direction for the England management.

Vaughan was ‘one of the guys’, who treated his charges as equals and went more for encouragement than chastisement.

I have no doubt Nasser Hussain played a key role in England’s 2005 Ashes victory by driving England’s competitive side up with his fiercely combative attitude.

But when Vaughan took over he created a more relaxed attitude in the England camp and the likes of Flintoff flourished with the self-belief he encouraged.

Since the Ashes the Vaughan-effect seems to have worn off somewhat, with the likes of Steve Harmison and Andrew Strauss losing form possibly because they were in too much of a comfort zone with Vaughan’s softly, softly approach.

So which direction will KP take?

No matter how vehemently he will deny it, Pietersen is not a leader among equals as he enjoys a superstar status matched only by Flintoff (whose own captaincy dreams sunk along with his pedalo in the Caribbean).

Whereas Vaughan was concerned with the legacy of his team, Pietersen is obsessed with his own personal legacy.

This doesn’t mean he is not a team player and cannot lead, because his own designs could tie in with that of his men.

What better legacy to leave than that of the man who led his country as they recaptured the Ashes against all odds.

Time will tell how the maverick reacts under the burden of responsibility, but it is important we judge Pietersen not just on how he performs while captain, but how his team perform as a unit.