The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[greyblazer]

It is a crazy situation all thanks to ECB. As they fined one player for even a silly thing like criticizing a commentator, people will think of double standards.

[Arthur Crabtree]

If someone can fine KP for saying how did Knight ever work his way into a commentary box then others too should be fined.Mind you in neither of the cases a player should be fined but if one player is fined then the other guy too should be.

In my opinion, a lot of the treatment towards Pietersen the ECB was driven by the threat they felt he posed to their contract system and the ongoing encroachment of the IPL. They had an agenda which isn't there in their treatment of Swann, Anderson, Broad. Unfortunately for them, onlookers will expect some consistency in the treatment of the players, and so everything the team says will be scrutinised for any possible offence. It's all a bit infantile, but then the ECB have brought it upon themselves.

[shankycricket]

As always, there is this pedantry when it comes to KP. KP haters trying to find minor differences between the two cases and making it out that one is acceptable but not the other. The same old story!

The pedantry is labellng anyone who doesnt agree with your view of KP as a Kp hater.

Not really. If Jimmy's comments about Vaughan are not offensive then how are KP's comments about Nick Knight deemed to be offensive? What did he say about him? He was jsut wondering how the hell did he work his way into the commentary box? Did he abuse him? Did he call him a f**king *modded* and all that? No. He said that he should not be a commentator and I am sure 99% of the people in the world would concur. But criticising the captaincy of a former captain, who is also one of England's most successful captains and who has done a lot more for English cricket than Nick Knight, is perfectly acceptable.

And what about Swann's comments on Samit?

[greyblazer]

If some of these ECB guys were heading PCB when Wasim and Waqar were at war in the early 90's I wonder how many tests they would have played. My guess is less than 20.

[sussexpob]

Im pretty sure the person who these comments were aimed at would feel hurt and insulted by them.

And the relevance of that would be?

In answering the following...

Again Jimmy Andersons comments are innocuous and as a person whos played under 5 skippers he is well placed to make comparissions between them and the way that he was handled by them all, So please tell my why the remarks that JA made are supposed to be so inflamatory?

The words are clearly not innocuous to Michael Vaughan, as they have the result of attacking his personal and professional reputation, and they are clearly to provoke a reaction from the press in order to sell his book, which he has succeeded in doing with the reaction it has gauged....

So the above quote is nonsense.

[hopeforthebest]

Despite all the history of this 'never ending story'' it seems now to boil down to the following:

Pietersen (through his agent) has admitted and aplogised for sending text messages to SA players during the Headingley test. In return he is insisting Swann and Anderson admit to and apologise for their involvement in some parody tweets, which they deny doing.

Looks like a classic 'Mexican standoff' to me.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Regarding the ECB, the changing of the qualification for playing for England makes me wonder. I admit this is very speculative, but. Why did they change the qualification for playing for England? It was already far tighter than most sporting qualification rules. Why did Miller make a statement that they would be just arbitrarily picking fewer 'South African born' players in future?

My image of an organisation like the ECB, is that it will be very traditional, old fashioned, class influenced, British. Not that Morris or Miller especially are like that, but that is the culture they work in. Surely the policy of shutting out English citizens born in South Africa from playing for England suggests that this was an issue precious to the ECB, which seemed only surprising to the outside world once expressed.

It gives you some idea of the culture that drives the organisation that constantly rubs itself against Pietersen, and how there may be personal, not that pleasant, prejudices behind it. Which shows itself in the inconsistencies we see. Most nakedly, the kind of attitude we see in Michael Henderson. Or Michael Henderson types possibly in the ECB.

When Pietersen said he wanted to play in the IPL, and T20 internationals, the ECB did what the establishment does when it feels threatened, it closed ranks and sought to isolate and undermine the outsider. Through leaks. Through punishing minor misdemeanours, aided by a similar tendency in the press.

However the ECB may have to suffer for this partiality toward one player. The press won't just be turned off once the headline generator is in full flow.

[Dilbert]

So lets look at this event by event

1] KP criticises Nick Knight, is fined by ECB
Andersen criticises MV, no action taken.

2] KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned
Swann calls Samit mediocre fat spinner and is let off
Swann says something less than complimentary about KP in his bio and thats just an honest opinion

3] KP accuses Broad, Swann and Andersen behind a parody twitter account. Subsequently that is owned up by some county player who is room mates with Broad. And half the Eng team follow the parody account within an hour of its creation. Circumstantial evidence, or rather for a person who is being parodied, this all points to his team mates ridiculing him. ECB ignores this.
KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned. Now the ECB, Flower or anyone else did not have proof that this even happened. But KP was guilty until proven innocent. Also many posters dont acknowledge this as KPs honest opinion, when they feel that Swanns criticism of KPs captaincy was exactly that.

Does anyone see double standards here? Or they still think its apples and oranges?

And btw, team unity seems terribly out of form recently. Time to drop it for a Kharismatic Player considering team England need to defend their crown in SL?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Of course the Anderson incident is just another media cloud, just nebulous vapour. As should have been the Pietersen incident. It would be a bit demeaning even to be discussing them, if it hadn't been that KP was fined and censured for his comment.

[GGAS]

So lets look at this event by event

1] KP criticises Nick Knight, is fined by ECB
Andersen criticises MV, no action taken.

2] KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned
Swann calls Samit mediocre fat spinner and is let off
Swann says something less than complimentary about KP in his bio and thats just an honest opinion

3] KP accuses Broad, Swann and Andersen behind a parody twitter account. Subsequently that is owned up by some county player who is room mates with Broad. And half the Eng team follow the parody account within an hour of its creation. Circumstantial evidence, or rather for a person who is being parodied, this all points to his team mates ridiculing him. ECB ignores this.
KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned. Now the ECB, Flower or anyone else did not have proof that this even happened. But KP was guilty until proven innocent. Also many posters dont acknowledge this as KPs honest opinion, when they feel that Swanns criticism of KPs captaincy was exactly that.

Does anyone see double standards here? Or they still think its apples and oranges?

And btw, team unity seems terribly out of form recently. Time to drop it for a Kharismatic Player considering team England need to defend their crown in SL?

On the money as usual there Dilbert.

[hopeforthebest]

There are so many conspiracy theories on this thread I expect Oliver Stone to join in any minute.

[greyblazer]

Of course the Anderson incident is just another media cloud, just nebulous vapour. As should have been the Pietersen incident. It would be a bit demeaning even to be discussing them, if it hadn't been that KP was fined and censured for his comment.

Everything just looks silly to me. All parties involved have a face to face discussion and move on. I understand it won't happen.

[Arthur Crabtree]

We need Oliver Stone to uncover the possibility that KP is not popular at the ECB!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Of course the Anderson incident is just another media cloud, just nebulous vapour. As should have been the Pietersen incident. It would be a bit demeaning even to be discussing them, if it hadn't been that KP was fined and censured for his comment.

Everything just looks silly to me. All parties involved have a face to face discussion and move on. I understand it won't happen.

I don't see why both sides can't see that they made mistakes, and agree to try and do better in future. Flower and Pietersen tell each other how the other makes them feel.... And move on.

To me, ending Pietersen's international career for the reasons we know about would be an undeserved outcome that benefits no one.

And, agree with Dilbert of course.

[shankycricket]

So lets look at this event by event

1] KP criticises Nick Knight, is fined by ECB
Andersen criticises MV, no action taken.

2] KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned
Swann calls Samit mediocre fat spinner and is let off
Swann says something less than complimentary about KP in his bio and thats just an honest opinion

3] KP accuses Broad, Swann and Andersen behind a parody twitter account. Subsequently that is owned up by some county player who is room mates with Broad. And half the Eng team follow the parody account within an hour of its creation. Circumstantial evidence, or rather for a person who is being parodied, this all points to his team mates ridiculing him. ECB ignores this.
KP texts something (no one still know what exactly it was, as Flower himself admitted he did not know the content) to his friends in SA team, he is banned. Now the ECB, Flower or anyone else did not have proof that this even happened. But KP was guilty until proven innocent. Also many posters dont acknowledge this as KPs honest opinion, when they feel that Swanns criticism of KPs captaincy was exactly that.

Does anyone see double standards here? Or they still think its apples and oranges?

And btw, team unity seems terribly out of form recently. Time to drop it for a Kharismatic Player considering team England need to defend their crown in SL?

How dare you talk sense, Dilbert?