Top 5 England batsmen with most Test sixes

#2 Kevin Pietersen

Pietersen's big-hitting skills oozed both power and elegance

Many would have expected the maverick South African-born Kevin Pietersen to top this particular list and to be frank, there is very little to choose when it comes to the Top 2.

With 81 sixes from his 104-Test career, which was brought to an abrupt end following the 2013-14 Ashes series Down Under, Pietersen is just one maximum short of the English record.

Despite all the controversies that plagued his career off the field, Pietersen was a joy to watch with the bat in his hand. Effortless and classy at the same time, Pietersen took a liking to the opposition batsmen more often than not and was one of the best batsmen of his time.

Pietersen had the ability to clear the ropes with ease and yet was very consistent with the bat as his average of 47.28 from 104 matches suggest.

He scored seven sixes in an innings during his knock of 158 against Australia at the Oval in the famous Ashes series of 2005 and ripped the Sri Lankan bowling attack to shreds in their own backyard with his knock of 151 at Colombo in 2012.

The manner in which his international career came to an end was pretty unfortunate from the spectator's point of view as there is no doubt that he could have easily achieved the landmark of 100 Test sixes had he carried on playing for England.