Boeta Dippenaar, former South African test cricketer said on DSTV’s “Inside Edge” the innings Kevin Pietersen played for England against the Proteas at Headingley is one of the ten bests in history. Arguably, I would say; but it was most certainly an extraordinary knock which saved England.
In a dramatic change of mood, worse than Lemony’s Snicket’s “series of unfortunate events”, Pietersen, after the test, told reporters in a press interview that he had enough of England’s cricketing politics and that the next test at Lords might be his last.
Pietersen openly admitted the feud between him and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and he basically said he had enough of that.
He hinted that contents of a private discussions he had with the ECB was leaked to the media who accused Pietersen of once again grabbing the limelight at a time when England was playing for their number 1 test position and when the team should have made the headlines.
In the interview, far from the “extraordinary verbal attack” reported by the media, Pietersen said it became custom to blame him.
Bob Willis certainly did that when he speculated that greed is the agenda for Pietersen’s shocking threat. He said Pietersen is holding England at random by threatening to quit test cricket.
However, if the leak of a private conversation happened, and everything indicates it did, there is merit behind Pietersen’s accusation that the ECB breached the good will between the parties and that they are not to be trusted.
Pietesen’s displeasure with the ECB is an open secret and although many reckons the star batsmen overplayed his “greedy” hand by expecting the best of all worlds, the problems are probably caused by a total lack of respect and trust between Pietersen and the ECB.
Whatever the England media and the microphone brigade make of Pietersen’s agendas and “unpatriotic” behaviour, the ECB is not the fairy in this bizarre tale.
Only once; when the Proteas toured England in 2008 Pietersen showed an animated love for the Kingdom and the ECB. After that it was clear for all to see that the ECB was using their former captain and that the gifted player returned the honours.
The ECB has not been faithful or nice to Pietersen in the past. In an article in the Telegraph Geoffrey Boycott, who also had his differences with the ECB in his playing days, “painted” the scenery that lead to Pietersen’s resignation from England’s ODI team: “The ECB was not thrilled with the timing of Kevin’s decision. You could tell he (Hugh Morris, managing director of ECB) was peeved and miffed that Kevin had gone public at that moment.”
“Hugh would probably like to tell Kevin to get knotted and not pick him – even for Tests. He would like to say: See what that does for your profile, not playing any international cricket at all. But, hang on a minute; is not this the same Hugh Morris who sacked Kevin as captain over the telephone in 2009?’”
According to Boycott, Kevin was flying to London for a meeting at Lord’s when he was sacked over the phone: “Hugh could not wait to do the decent thing and tell Kevin face-to-face that he was being replaced. No, he just blurted it out over the phone with no thought for the player’s feelings.”
Boycott makes no secret that he regarded Morris’ handling of the sacking as ill-mannered and a blatant attempt to humiliate KP publicly: “What goes around comes around. So Hugh Morris and the ECB are not really in a position to complain.”
It is not only the ECB who is backstabbing Pietersen and downplaying his greatness. Mike Gatting, former England cricket captain and columnist says if Pietersen goes it is merely a matter of replacing him. Gatting mentions young James Stewart as a replacement. This is typical of the type of arrogance that finally got Pietersen to a point where he had enough of England cricket.
Nothing can camouflage the knowledge that an England batting line-up without Pietersen would be tentative, to say the least. There is no other KP in the kingdom and only a hand full in the world.
In fact, for decades now England could not produce eleven competent cricketers to keep their flag hanging at the same time.
Alec Stewart is far more realistic and he openly said the loss of Kevin would be a tragedy for England. Stewart sensibly suggested that the ECB and Kevin sit down and redefine their relationship.
Kevin Pietersen is an egoist of epic proportions but he is not to blame for the chaotic rivalry between him and the ECB.
The ECB wants 100% commitments from their foreign players but give none in return.
I, for one still wonder why Jonathan Trott found it necessary to say he misses London when he visits Cape Town. He said it days before the first test at the Oval. Why did he have to express his loyalty to England so graphically?
Anyway; speculations have it that Pietersen will be dropped for the Lord’s test. If it happens, and the ECB does not have the balls to go that far, England can kiss there number one position in test cricket goodbye.
Without Kevin the Proteas will find Lords a secure and pleasant outing.
My guess is KP finally through the gauntlet down and that the ECB is scurrying to maintain his greatness and to save face.
Ewe skielik sê Broad en Cook daar is geen bakleiery in die Engeland kamp nie. Dit is mos die eerste tekens van n bakleiery sodra mense sê daar is nie. Hier kom groot moeilikheid en dit gaan in ons hande in speel. Net jammer daai grootbek Kitch is nie meer met ons om bietjie uit gelag te word nie
Broad en Cook lieg; daar is ouens in daardie “brat Pack” wat nie vir mekaar bid nie. Jip, jammer dat Kitch verdwyn het; wonder of hy sal terugkom?
I agree, it’s a great article. Sums up everything very nicely. I don’t like KP but he is a great batsman. I do feel for him, as you pointed out ECB hasn’t treated him very well. I think this is all still a hangover from the whole captaincy thing. Things were also leaked around that time. I also get the impression that there is something not quite right between him and the duo of Flower and Strauss.
It also can’t help when half your team does things like following a fake twitter account that is openly mocking you. Yes, the account wasn’t run by a player but the fact that half the team followed it is not really on. There are also rumours that the account holder is good mates with some of the English players.
Funny how they forget how he has bailed them out on a few occasions, he did win the Ashes for them and without this last knock SA would have been 2 – 0 up.
I think he will be dropped for the next match and will only make a return under a new coach and captain.
Geoffrey Boycott has been called every name in the book, but not a liar. If he says it is the ECB’s mistake I trust him blindly. Based on Geoffrey’s account you are right that this is still the after effects of the captaincy issue. KP said in the interview he was not waiting for Strauss and he didn’t say it in a friendly manner. Ironically KP got rid of the previous coach which opened the door for Flower. The Twitter thing is a disgrace, more so because it is orchestrated from the dressing room. Some matters raised on that account was only known by the dressing room brigade. I think the ECB wants to leave him out for the third test but that would almost certainly give the number 1 test spot to the Proteas. I think they will keep him for Lords and fire him afterwards. However, without Kevin they are a dead horse.
What a great article. It sets out the situation very clearly. The ECB have always treated KP poorly. I’m sure if he didn’t love his cricket and wasn’t as talented as he is he would have told the ECB to get lost long ago. Do they think they can continue to insult him and put him down and have him continue to produce match winning results for them to glory in.I choose to think he is loyal to England but he must be totally demoralised by the treatment dished out to him. A magnificent batsman, I do hope he continues to play for England and [ I know I'm dreaming] play all forms of the game.I just love watching him bat.
Thanks Julie. Yes, our Kevin is making the headlines, which he loves, and the ECB is playing their little role. I think Kevin is a global dweller, a free spirit who associates with the world of cricket rather than a physical country with rivers and mountains for boundaries. Obviously he knows how relatively short a career can be and as he had to spent time to qualify to play for England his time is even shorter. Kevin wants to secure his future over a period of 10 to 12 years of which 5 to 6 remains. Future wise he has to play in the IPL and if England cannot pay him what the Indians do then he must have the rights to make choices. And, the ECB always knew that Kevin was a global citizen. Personally I think Kevin regrets the fact that he didn’t remain in the good old R of SA to play for the Proteas. When he left the field on the eve of his great knock he spoke freely with Rudolph and AB and basically ignored his batting partner.
Trott actually prefers “rainy Birmingham” than “sunny Cape Town” and when he was last here for his half-brother Kenny Jackson’s wedding, he came alone and could not wait to get back to his wife and newborn daughter. That’s his home.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/571274.html
I get your point, at least get your facts right. Don’t bring Trott into KP’s landmine-filled world.
Hi Alasdair, you might be right; but I clearly questioned the timing and the motive of his comment. Just after the Proteas arrived in the Kingdom and KP had another fall-out with the ECB he said he misses London when he is in Cape Town. Why did he feel a need to say it? Bid odd and seamless; don’t you think?
I’m sure it was purely down to stoking the fires of the Test series. Steyn’s retort that KP and Trott would not have made the Proteas proves this.
I bet you KP will move back to SA once the English have a go at him. I wonder how much he”ll have to pay to get his tattoo of the England three lions emblem removed from his chest. What a chop!
Steyn is right about Trott but KP would have made the Protea team if he had any patience. Based on past and recent evidence KP is way better than Rudolph and Duminy. Even a Ashwell Prince is nothing compared to Pietersen. Whether the likes of Graeme, Kallis, AB and Boucher would have accepted him is however an entirely debatable matter.
You’re right! I must say KP is at a level of genius, yet he often has brainfarts at the crease which is his main downfall.
It’s ironic that he’s complaining about ‘politics’ in the England changing room. He did the same thing when he turned his back on SA cricket but in that context, the ‘politics’ involved people like Prince getting the inside lane into the Proteas.
Kevin is a phenomenon; both on and off the field. I think his ego is phenomenally big; and so is that of the ECB. And, they are stalemate: they need Kevin and he needs them. It is simply two big egos in a head-on collision with nowhere to run for cover. Anyway, I prefer to think of KP with bat in hand. It does not matter if he scores for England or any other team; it remains a pure honour to watch him at work.
Jip, that’s what happens when a South African joins a any foreign team. If you have SA in your blood you will never “adapt to their way of doing things”! Plus, I don’t think you are ever one of the boys? Trott is a liar! He knows it!!! Go for the kill guys!!!
Yes, they (South Africans) never are part of the stiff upper lip “us”. It takes a “renegade” like Boycott to point out that the ECB humiliated KP and that it caused the bad blood. The rest including the microphone brigade, the media, Gatting, Alec Stewart and all the queen’s men blindly follows the ECB in their beasting of great Kevin.
And so the story goes. I hate backroom politics and politics in sport in General. It is really a shame, even if he is as egotistical as all say he is, he is still one of the greater batsmen in the English Line up. They will soon realise that when and if they finally lose him for good that they have one moerse gap in that middle order.
You can say that about a lot of former players, but KP is really good when he is on song, even if he is a moerse pain in the gat
Before the ECB finally denounce Pietersen they should consider this line-up which is their future if KP leaves: Strauss, Cook, Trott, Bell, Ravi Bopara, James Taylor and Matt Prior. Strauss is way past his best; Bopara is not international quality; Stewart is new and a back-foot player; which more or less suggests he has serious limitations against pace; and Bell and Cook are erratic. Apart from Trott only Matt produces constantly. If KP goes or gets the boot England will be in serious trouble. My guess is they will tolerate him until he decides to give them the finger. For decades now England built their teams around South Africans and they are about to be caught out. KP graphically illustrated that England succeeded to buy skills but not loyalty.