Kevin Pietersen has reignited an age-old debate in cricketing circles by boldly asserting that batting in the current era is far easier than it was two decades ago. The former England superstar suggested that a dip in the overall quality of bowling across Test-playing nations has made life simpler for modern-day batters.

Taking to social media shortly after Joe Root climbed to second on the all-time list of Test run scorers—surpassing Australia’s Ricky Ponting—Kevin Pietersen made his stance clear. “Don’t shout at me, but batting these days is way easier than 20/25 years ago! Probably twice as hard back then!” he wrote on X.

ALSO READ: N Jagadeesan Explains Emotions Behind Surprise India Call-Up Amid Pant Injury Concern

Kevin Pietersen, never one to shy away from controversial takes, backed his claim with context. The flamboyant batter, who amassed 8,181 runs in 104 Tests at an average of 47.28, added that it was the sheer quality of opposition bowlers in his era that made scoring runs a monumental task.

Don’t shout at me but batting these days is way easier than 20/25 years ago! Probably twice as hard back then!

Waqar, Shoaib, Akram, Mushtaq, Kumble, Srinath, Harbhajan, Donald, Pollock, Klusener, Gough, McGrath, Lee, Warne, Gillespie, Bond, Vettori, Cairns, Vaas, Murali,…

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) July 26, 2025

He rattled off a legendary list: “Waqar, Shoaib, Akram, Mushtaq, Kumble, Srinath, Harbhajan, Donald, Pollock, Klusener, Gough, McGrath, Lee, Warne, Gillespie, Bond, Vettori, Cairns, Vaas, Murali, Curtley, Courtney… the list could go on,” Kevin Pietersen wrote, before challenging fans: “I’ve named 22. Please name me 10 modern-day bowlers that compare.”

ALSO READ: Morne Morkel Explains Kuldeep Yadav’s Absence Amid India’s Test Struggles

His comments arrived just as Joe Root was lauded for his masterful 150 against India in Manchester, taking him to 11,736 Test runs—second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s mammoth 15,921. For Pietersen, though, the context of the era still matters.