Tests still best to Pietersen

England captain Kevin Pietersen insists Test cricket is still the 'pinnacle' of the game despite the growing success of the Twenty20 format.

Pietersen will lead England into the lucrative Stanford 20/20 for 20 match in Antigua on November 1 and has always enjoyed the shortened version of the game.

But the South Africa-born batsman believes the five-day game is still the most important format.

"Twenty20 is here to stay and is the future of coloured-clothes cricket but white clothes separate the men from the boys - where you are testing yourself over five days," he told Sky Sports.

"Tests are certainly the pinnacle and I want to be remembered for having pretty good stats in Test cricket.

"A Test victory is something really special, it's an amazing feeling because they don't come around that often and I don't think that is going to change."

While the US$20million Stanford match is an exciting prospect, Pietersen says the tour of India remains England's priority.

"It's a reality check, a chance to see how the guys are but it's a Twenty20 at the end of the day - three hours - so mostly it's preparation for the trip to India which is going to be really tough."