KEVIN Pietersen’s elevation to the top of the England batting order for the World Cup could turn out to be a defining moment in the player’s career.

Now 30 years old, it is time the Surrey man took on more responsibility and became the consistently high run scorer that his talents deserve.

It is staggering that Pietersen’s last one-day international century came in 2008, and that he has only scored one 50 in the same amount of time. It is a similar story in the Test arena, with just one three figure score to his name since early 2009 – albeit that being a double hundred that helped England towards an Ashes victory Down Under.

Like those mercurial footballers who leave you exasperated with their seemingly languid approach to the game, Pietersen is just as infuriating with his macho and rash shot selection threatening to undermine his legacy.

What England need at the World Cup is for KP to construct a sensible and calculated innings. Whether batting first or second, if their talismanic opener is still there in the final overs there is every chance they will win the game.

Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower have entrusted the South-African born ace with some serious responsibility and it is time it is rewarded.

Pietersen has it in his make-up – after all, he batted the final day of the Oval Test in 2005 to score a century and ensure England won the Ashes. He also hit that double hundred in the winter success over the old enemy, and he came to the fore as a prominent member of the team that won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

England have been written off by all and sundry despite being, man-for-man, one of the strongest outfits in the competition.

But, in Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara – who, incidentally, might not even get in the team to start with – they have serious match winners within their ranks.

The stage is set for KP and Co. Let’s hope he puts on a show that helps bring the trophy home to Lord’s alongside the World Twenty20 trophy and the Ashes urn. If he helps England do that, the term “great” might finally be attributable to Pietersen.