The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[KipperJohn]

As far as I am aware, KP's contract was eventually terminated by mutual agreement - he wasn't dismissed for any reasons of misconduct. It is only the present incumbents at the ECB that will seemingly hold the line against any recall.

A week is a long time in politics and nothing ever surprises me these days and KP's stated desire to play some sort of cricket for England isn't exactly a shock, nor impossible.

However I remember quite a long thread on CMS called something like 'Kevin Pietersen resigns from limited overs cricket.'

Is it any wonder that when it comes to debate about England we're all somewhat frazzled?

[Arthur Crabtree]

His contract was mutually terminated on the understanding he wasn't going to be picked again.

[Making_Splinters]

It never ceases to amaze that the ECB can't help but respond to KP. You would have thought they'd have learnt by now to stay quiet, Comment's by Downton such as, "If anything more bridges have been burned by Kevin's book. There is no interest from our point of view in going backwards," just make the ECB look deeply childish.

Then again they seem to have this childish urge to defend themselves over every little thing. Downton's back peddling over Cook has been another laughable case.

[GarlicJam]

In case you were unaware, I should state upfront that I have never been a fan of Pietersen (it's axiomatic, I suppose, I am Australian).

Highly skilled, no doubt, but his ego is even greater than his skill level. An incident the other night illustrated that perfectly (and it may well be that I have commented on a very similar incident sometime in the past) - Pietersen went for a big shot, got a top-edge and skied the ball. As soon as he realised he was likely to be caught, he walked off, leaving the incoming batsman to be on strike. Some overs later, when Dusssey did something similar, he had the common sense and team-thought to go for the run, to give the incoming batsman a chance to be at the non-strikers end.


I think it also highlights what I see as the natural competitiveness that Australians have - the ball MAY be dropped, be ready in case it is that 1 in 100.

[Arthur Crabtree]

There are a lot of different reasons to like or dislike anyone. And many pass one test and fail another. My standpoint on KP was always that he should get a fair chance and enough credit. I'm not sure his England career ended with either.

[KipperJohn]

His contract was mutually terminated on the understanding he wasn't going to be picked again.

That doesn't seem to be Pietersen's understanding though does it. Unless the legalities are made public, which they won't, we shall never know. Future incumbents at the ECB, particularly if there is a swift turnover, may take a different view. This will just rumble on ad nauseum.

Contracts in professional sport these days seem to have as much longevity as newspaper. Makes me laugh when I read someone has agreed an 'x' year contract.

[Arthur Crabtree]

KP still wants to play for England. He's never said otherwise. That was just the ultimatum presented to him.

[rich1uk]

His contract was mutually terminated on the understanding he wasn't going to be picked again.

That doesn't seem to be Pietersen's understanding though does it. Unless the legalities are made public, which they won't, we shall never know. Future incumbents at the ECB, particularly if there is a swift turnover, may take a different view. This will just rumble on ad nauseum.

Contracts in professional sport these days seem to have as much longevity as newspaper. Makes me laugh when I read someone has agreed an 'x' year contract.

I think that was his understanding , but he just cant stay out of it and keeps trying to push buttons

even as a KP fan I think he made a huge mistake this year by not agreeing with surrey to play in all forms , I doubt he really needs the money from IPL and CPL and by far the best way to put pressure on the ECB would have been to score a heap of runs for surrey in all formats, by not even attempting to do so he has actually made the ECB's position easy to stand by as they can just point at his performances this year and say that he doesn't deserve a spot anyway.

[Alviro Patterson]

Nicely summed up article about KPs current chances of playing for England again

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke ... ecall.html

[rich1uk]

Nicely summed up article about KPs current chances of playing for England again

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke ... ecall.html

that article kinda says what I said above , only by playing a full domestic season and scoring a serious amount of runs could he really have put pressure on the ECB to do a U-turn , even scoring the odd good innings in domestic t20s doesn't mean much in terms of putting himself back in with even a negligible chance of that

[KipperJohn]

His contract was mutually terminated on the understanding he wasn't going to be picked again.

That doesn't seem to be Pietersen's understanding though does it. Unless the legalities are made public, which they won't, we shall never know. Future incumbents at the ECB, particularly if there is a swift turnover, may take a different view. This will just rumble on ad nauseum.

Contracts in professional sport these days seem to have as much longevity as newspaper. Makes me laugh when I read someone has agreed an 'x' year contract.

I think that was his understanding , but he just cant stay out of it and keeps trying to push buttons

even as a KP fan I think he made a huge mistake this year by not agreeing with surrey to play in all forms , I doubt he really needs the money from IPL and CPL and by far the best way to put pressure on the ECB would have been to score a heap of runs for surrey in all formats, by not even attempting to do so he has actually made the ECB's position easy to stand by as they can just point at his performances this year and say that he doesn't deserve a spot anyway.

Of course he will continue to push buttons - that's his way. For the avoidance of any doubt my interest in all this was from a legal standpoint - I can't be bothered with the frankly ridiculous behaviour of the ECB, or indeed KP's subsequent actions either - he could have handled it much better.

I was discussing this with a lawyer friend of mine today. Clearly his central contract was terminated and he signed a 'temporary' confidentiality agreement. My point is that whilst various people at the ECB are adamant that he won't play for England again, that is a matter of current policy - what they couldn't and cannot do is impose any legal restraints on him being selected., either now or in the future.

[Slipstream]

2012

Pietersen said that "with the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the World Cup in 2015."

After coming out of retirement his ODI figures 9 matches 256 runs at 28.44. England played 55 matches.
He couldn't have been injured for 46 matches. Were the selectors already phasing KP out of ODIs? He didn't really like ODIs so there wasn't much complaining coming from him. Also he only played one 20/20. Then on Feb 4th this year when he was told he was being left out of the West Indies ODIs and WC 20/20 he thought his Test career was over as well. He then cancelled his central contract to have the freedom to play where and when he wanted. I wonder if he looks back and thinks that he shouldn't have been so hasty. England would have let him play in the IPL. If he got lots of runs for Surrey in the early season I don't think he would be dropped from Tests as all the batsmen had a bad Ashes.

I don't think we have heard the real story from KP or the ECB. That confidentiality agreement that ran out on Oct 1 probably covered what he could say when the book came out and what he couldn't talk about.

[Arthur Crabtree]

But... they told him he wouldn't play again. Which has been reiterated many times since... Including this week.

I just don't understand where you're coming from Slipstream. He was told his career was over. Not that he wasn't going to be picked for WI. How can he have been hasty. It wasn't his decision.

[Making_Splinters]

KP is playing a PR game at present. He knows that if he says something as inocent as, "I hope to play for England again" the ECB will say something between petty and daft in reply.

He has a lot of ventures outside of cricket these days and is still playing. Keeping his name in the press is good for buisness, especially when somehow the ECB have decided to give him the moral high ground.

I suspect that KP does actually want to play for England again and he's got nothing to lose by saying it. Press and public opinion of the ECB hasn't been lower at any stage since Fletcher took over after the New Zealand home loss. If KP scores some runs next season then who knows what may happen, Dizzy scored a double after all.

[Arthur Crabtree]

KP wanted to keep playing. When asked his goals by Downton, he said he wanted to score 10000 Test runs, which was held against him because it was a personal, not a team goal.... Just because he was sacked, why would it be that he lost his ambition, or in saying he wanted to play for England mean he is playing some kind of game? His career was sawn off. When Cook was dropped from the ODI side, the selectors expressed sympathy and concern for his personal well-being. When KP was sacked, he was made a pariah, and cast as a malevolent influence.