Pietersen returns to anger and criticism

Eurosport - Thu, 08 Jan 18:39:00 2009

Kevin Pietersen has arrived back in London to face a barrage of criticism over the events that led to him resigning as England cricket captain and have left the national team in disarray at the start of an Ashes year.

2008 England Kevin Pietersen - 0

The star batsman, who had been on holiday in his native South Africa, needed a police escort to enable him to negotiate his way past a waiting scrum of photographers and cameramen at Heathrow Airport.

The 28-year-old made no comment before slipping away in a black car but there was no shortage of former players willing to issue their verdicts on the drama that led to both Pietersen and England's head coach Peter Moores losing their jobs on Wednesday.

Moores was dismissed while Pietersen was left with no option but to resign after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made it clear that he would otherwise be sacked following his decision to issue a "it's him or me" ultimatum over the future of the coach, with whom he has never seen eye-to-eye.

Pietersen may have got his way if he had been seen to be speaking on behalf of all the players. But the appointment of Andrew Strauss as his replacement with a brief to "restore the dressing room unity" made it clear that the ECB did not believe that to be the case.

Nasser Hussain, one of Pietersen's predecessors as captain, said the fiasco could not have occurred at a worse time with England just weeks away from a tour of the West Indies and Australia due here to defend the Ashes later in the year.

"It's surprising how English cricket continues to shoot itself in the foot just before an Ashes series," Hussain said.

While insisting the ECB should have known exactly what to expect when they gave Pietersen the job last year, the former skipper said Pietersen had completely misjudged the extent of his power.

"Pietersen has learned the hard way that he can't just go through his career taking people on," he said. "As England captain, you need savvy, to be streetwise and politically astute. You have to choose the right time to pick your fights, and this was not the right time."

Hussain said Pietersen had also erred by not cutting short his holiday.

"You can't just sit on safari in South Africa and issue ultimatums to the board about the England cricket captaincy. It is far too important for that."

Another former captain, Michael Atherton, said he had always expected Pietersen's reign to end in tears.

"Nobody has come out of this well," argued Atherton, now the cricket correspondent of The Times. "The ECB's judgment in appointing Moores as quickly as they did will be questioned. So will Pietersen's judgment in how he has dealt with Moores."

Allan Lamb, like Pietersen a South Africa-born batsman who played for England, said the row had made English cricket look ridiculous.

"We are a laughing stock at the moment, we are a total shambles... and Pietersen is to blame for that."

Ex-England batsman Graham Thorpe said Pietersen's headstrong character had proved his downfall and questioned whether the batsman could continue to play for England.

"The way he has gone about this has been counter-productive, and he has presented England with a massive problem," Thorpe said.

"However good you are, you can't create this kind of situation as people will start asking which side you are on - the team's or your own?"

There was greater sympathy for Pietersen from two of the legends of the English game, Ian Botham and Geoff Boycott.

Both said the "chinless wonders" at the ECB should be blamed "for the farce that has turned English cricket into a laughing stock."

Boycott said he would understand if Pietersen decided to turn his back on English cricket and take the money on offer in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"The ECB knew what they were getting with KP, but he has put the executive committee's noses out of joint with his demands," Boycott said. "Their egos have got in the way of common-sense. I wouldn't blame him if he played every year in the IPL."

Here is Pietersen's resignation statement in full:

'Contrary to media speculation today, I wish to make it very clear that I did not resign as captain of the England cricket team this morning.

However, in light of recent communications with the ECB, and the unfortunate media stories and speculation that have subsequently appeared, I now consider that it would be extremely difficult for me to continue in my current position with the England cricket team.

Accordingly, I have as of this afternoon decided to stand down as England captain with immediate effect.

Notwithstanding my resignation as England captain, I still fully intend to be a part of both England's Test and One Day International squad to tour the West Indies next month and to do all I can to recapture the Ashes during the summer.

I wish to add that I have principles in my professional and personal life as to how things are done and during my time as England captain I have always been both helpful and direct in my communications with the ECB.

At no time, contrary to press speculation, have I released any unauthorised information to the media regarding my relationships with the players, coaches and the ECB itself.

I am extremely sad and disappointed to have to relinquish the captaincy at such an early stage, especially in a crucial year for English cricket, in such circumstances and particularly when I feel that I have much more to offer the England team as captain.

However, this decision will not affect my determination to continue playing international cricket for England, doing all I can to win matches for the team and supporting whoever captains the team in the future.'

AFP

Comment 18 - 37 of 37

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  1. I am a sexy tallish girl, I feel lonely. Yesterday I­ joined a club
    --- T a l l h u b Co m ---where I could­ chat with many handsome guys. Come on, join us, find me­ here and discuss love with us.

    From Kendl D, on Fri 9 Jan 1:40PM

  2. Typical English, When a scottish, welsh or northern­ irish does something recognizable, they are British.­ HOwever, if an english does the same, oh, he's­ English. The same with K.P.and A.S. You English took­ them in, deal with them, through thick and thin.

    From dom S, on Fri 9 Jan 12:33PM

  3. People here just don't seem to get it. The issue is­ not about KP's playing skills but his behaviour off­ the pitch. The Captain of a team does not undermine the­ coach or any other member of the team for that­ matter.... and stay. I have no problem with KP as a­ player but yet again he is out in a case of big mouth­ before wicket. It was not so long ago that he managed­ to enfuriate the South Africans with his comments about­ SA cricket. In one fell swoop he has done it again. Re­ the South Africans, I seem to recall certain comments­ about his only playing for England because he was not­ good enough for the Proteas....?

    From John D, on Fri 9 Jan 11:58AM

  4. It is absolutely no wonder that we are a nation of­ cricketing beggars picking up a scrap of a win here and­ there. We have a player, a mountain of talent and­ justified self belief matched only by his relentless­ desire to win and the chinless never-have- beens at the­ ECB gather in a self protective huddle whilst the so­ called fans turn like a pack of filthy hyenas hurling­ racist and "ego" taunts. If you wish to see­ the real ego in that team, look back to the­ embarrrassing victory parade of 2005 and the drunken­ idiot and his wife who spent his entire time at the­ front of the open top bus occasionally dangling his­ baby over the edge Michael Jackson style. We have­ slumped way below the depths of mediocrity and no­ wonder when it appears these same sort of resentments­ are harboured in half the team also. No one seems to­ mention that KP has been very clear, he says he­ released none of this to the press, not a jot, which­ makes this public hanging all the more disgusting and­ of course saves the cretins who hail themselves as­ patriots from asking who did, and why. Good luck to you­ KP, such talent and self belief is most always resented­ by lesser men and your desire for team success­ unrecognised by the idiot.

    From nocohere, on Fri 9 Jan 10:29AM

  5. Nothing ever changes at the 'top' of English­ cricket. School ties, gentlemens clubs, exclusive­ counties and fear of change. Remember....Trueman! oh­ and Botham and Boycott. Greats of the game who­ challenged gave their all and paid a price.
    Wake up ECB­ its 2009 and winners know how to win...not to be­ necessarily nice!

    From chaletsale, on Fri 9 Jan 10:11AM

  6. All you so called supporters of KP dont get it do you.­
    Want to win at any cost and unable to recognize that­ you cant
    Lets get some of our own talent developed ­ not import players from overseas.

    As for a Captain ­ .. we need Management Skills
    not Prima Donnas -­ Peddlo Kings - Bar Brawler

    Who selects the ECB ­ though ??????

    My plea ... lets get our young talent­ developed
    Have real English players who REALLY REALLY­ want to win.

    Let the KPs & AFs play in the IPL ­ .... they will learn a bit of dicipline there.

    Any lip­ and they will be told what to do.
    Money talks my­ friends & IPL has it

    Plus Stanford proved it­ in more ways than one with the WAGs !!!!!

    From ish2fax, on Fri 9 Jan 4:52AM

  7. The ECB is an arcane organisation and Kevin Pietersen­ will always be at loggerheads with them. He is somewhat­ of an iconoclast, and will always suffer for that.­ I'm sure Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith get what­ they want. I say good for him for having a go. England­ has a wealth of talented cricketers, loose the ECB and­ they could be the best.

    From Joel W, on Fri 9 Jan 12:57AM

  8. Strange how the backstabbers all crawl out of the­ woodwork to bad mouth Pietersen now he's down. Who­ amongst all those know-all ex-players predicted this..­ Talk about wisdom after the event..And what about that­ turncoat Harmison.. Pietersen gave him the opportunity­ to play for a share in the Stanford series.. and this­ is how he repays him. And as for the 'rebel'­ Flintoff.. he's as yellow as the rest of the yes­ men that turned against Pietersen... Maybe he was­ hoping to be made captain again.. As for the ECB..­ Well, they couldn't organise a beer-call in a­ brewery. Jobs for the boys.. old school tie .. and all­ that c**p.. It's about time they realised that the­ days of cricket being a gentlemans game (if indeed it­ ever really was) have long gone. Wake up to the real­ world and see how the winners run their game...

    From bobyoung, on Thu 8 Jan 9:48PM

  9. Of course the establishment is criticising Pietersen,­ because he dared to challenge the status quo. It's­ the ECB which should resign, not KP. How clever of them­ to destroy another of our best players (Flintoff was­ the last) just before a test series.

    From clive.britcher, on Thu 8 Jan 9:41PM

  10. A good bet. Pietersen will be (certainly one of)­ England's leading run scorer in the West Indies and­ terrorize the Aussies. All will be forgotten, until he­ doesn't get a fifty for a few games, and he's­ the villain again.

    From A Yahoo! User, on Thu 8 Jan 9:27PM

  11. ECB Wat a laugh they are to blame they let things go­ out of propotion and start blaming our star players­ this is an inside thing ......lol This virus will never­ go until England start winning the tours and tha arshes­ as they used to be.....Stop blaming KP he said his­ feelings out like everybody else .....so he can perfom­ better ....KEEP GOING KP NEVER SAY NEVER WELL DONE­ !!!!!!
    ALL BY YOURSELF

    From clevertigere, on Thu 8 Jan 9:23PM

  12. Do any of you remember Bill Edrich? He was dropped when­ Alec Bedser who was tour manager at the time overheard­ him threaten to throw his wife overboard on the way­ back from Australia after she had been flirting with­ some of the ships crew.
    Ex players rarely make good­ beaurocrats (Ugh). That goes for Hussain and Thorpe­ double.
    Dermot Reeve and Mike Brearley are the only­ exceptions that I can think of.

    From Larry, on Thu 8 Jan 8:56PM

  13. KP and AS may both have been born in South Africa, but­ now they have played for England you couldn't pay­ us enough to take either of them back ! You lot were­ happy to take the benefits of having some of our best­ sportsmen in rugby, cricket and football, but when they­ make mistakes you want to send them home ? Being born­ in SA means that you actually have the courage to say­ what you believe in public as well as in private.

    From mickeypeckham, on Thu 8 Jan 6:49PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    who cares about cricket its the most perthetic sport­ ever england players are a joke

    From c.herridge824, on Thu 8 Jan 5:41PM

  15. you lot know nothing about cricket

    From peterpople, on Thu 8 Jan 5:15PM

  16. Thank God for Kevin Peterson who not only plays the­ game with a sense of adventure and flair. He excites­ people which clearly can't be handled by the­ cretinous players in the squad whose personal jealousy­ of both his talent and commercal earning power, is­ clearly two much for them. Sort them out.

    Its hardly­ surprising the Atherton, Hussain, etc. are against him.­ They are toadying to the establishment as usual in the­ hope of self agrandisement, which does them no favours­ at all. Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott are right on­ the money in their opinions.

    The tribalistic idiots­ critisising KP's South African heretage should stay­ away from cricket and indeed any sport. They are like a­ cancer to this country with their tabloidesque knee­ jerk opinions. By the way they should check out­ Strauss for his heretage (SA), or is that OK because he­ has the right old school background and plays for­ Middlesex in front of the blazers at Lords who are all­ about their misplaced interpretation of tradition and­ know nothing about the game in 2009.

    Go for it KP.

    From tpturner2003, on Thu 8 Jan 4:44PM

  17. it was clear from the start that Pietersen and Flintoff­ during the ashes series, that these two should never­ had been made captain. These players need to be­ controlled, not be controllers of other players. When­ will the board learn their lesson, do not always pick­ your best player as captain. The best player 9/10 is a­ hot shot and will always take risks. The catain should­ always be the carm and collective type of player who­ can influence and lead them in the right direction.

    From stevencday, on Thu 8 Jan 4:38PM

  18. typical of the old english way of thinking how long has­ KP played for england now you want to smash him to the­ floor when we hit a bit of rough i just dont get it

    From The Dobbo, on Thu 8 Jan 4:32PM

  19. You got my vote KP, im not a cricket lover, but i can­ watch certain players, and you are one of them, South­ African, you may be but the england team is made up of­ all sorts now, no such thing as an English team. As for­ the English football team.---You be the judge......

    From cheltenham4, on Thu 8 Jan 4:30PM

  20. All those saying Pieterson is South African now­ he's messed it up are quiet right. Watch what­ happens to the BRIT Andy Murray when things go wrong,­ he will become a SCOT again.

    From fergie2112, on Thu 8 Jan 4:22PM
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