Kevin Pietersen is as colourful as ever on eve of 100th Test Dynamic England batsman Kevin Pietersen relaxes with teammates at a net session at the Gabba on Tuesday. You can dislike Kevin Pietersen. You can detest him if you feel strongly enough. You may take issue with his nation-hopping as an ambitious teen, or the attitude that effortlessly switch-hits between confidence and arrogance. But find yourself on the brink of boredom? Never. On the verge of his 100th Test, the destructive English batsman remains one of cricket's most debated, divisive and dissected figures. Regular controversies have only amplified his magnetism. News of an impending press conference with Pietersen two days before the Ashes opener induced cases of mild arrhythmia among the local and travelling media. Kevin Pietersen celebrates his maiden Test century in 2005. Pietersen rarely holds court but when he does, generally offers something above and beyond the standard fare. He can range from prickly to pleasant, sometimes reaching both ends of the spectrum in a single answer. If anyone expected bluster and more ammunition for the Ashes phoney war, of which Pietersen has unwittingly taken centre stage, he countered with a charm offensive and a series of reflections on his career, which he never dreamed would include 100 Tests for a country in which he first sought success through his gentle off-spin. It was the Pietersen riddle neatly wrapped in a 15-minute package. He spoke with genuine humility while answering questions about his arrogance. He managed to group himself with greats from other sports, like Frank Lampard and Dan Carter, before admitting he struggles to view himself in anywhere near the same light. And he provided illuminating insights into his character, revealing fierce backyard cricket and rugby games with his brothers as a kid were all about the result, not the simple joys of taking part. I've got three brothers. We grew up incredibly competitive, fighting, punching, kicking. Competition was all that mattered, not partaking," Pietersen said, explaining a great deal by saying not much. I went to England as a spin bowler and I turned out to be a batter, so I can't sit here and say I wanted to bat three, four or five and make 10,000 Test runs. It just fell into place. Pietersen's arrival into Brisbane was greeted with a page one story about how nobody in his own camp liked him, let alone the Australians. Prodded for faux outrage, Pietersen teased and joked, welcoming the banter and marvelling at what the attention must have done for the journalist's Twitter profile. "I actually respect the Australian journalists for the way they come at oppositions," Pietersen said. I think it's fantastic. I've had it for however many years and I know when I walk out to bat, the Gabba's going to clout me. Pietersen's perceived arrogance has grated Australian fans and players (and occasionally his own), even if his brutish and bullish approach to the game was idolised when exhibited by our own during the ritual slaughter of the 1990s and early 2000s. If Pietersen is egotistical, then how must someone like Matthew Hayden have been viewed in England during the prolonged Ashes rout? The thumping Queensland opener still contends his favourite Gabba Test moment was when he vowed to make Andy Caddick's "feet bleed" during the day one battering that left Australia at 2-364 in 2002. Raised in Natal, Pietersen's tricky dynamic within the England team and even English fans has been well documented. In terms of his teammates - with the low point the texting scandal involving former captain Andrew Strauss in 2012 - Pietersen admitted there had been obvious mistakes. And he couldn't rightly answer whether his South African heritage and lingering accent had prevented him being adopted as a true British pin-up. But just days away from a century of Test matches, Pietersen said he simply felt blessed with all he had experienced and achieved. "We've all made mistakes ... and if I hadn't learned, I wouldn't be sitting here on the eve of my 100th Test match," Pietersen said.