Kevin Pietersen's Autobiography.

[Arthur Crabtree]

A bit of fun with Nick Knight:

'The game moves at an incredible pace but Knight is one of those commentators who you actually mute because he's just so boring. When I first heard him commentate on the Test matches, I was like, how on this earth...?

'So one day I just tweeted a question....

'Blue flashing lights in my rear view mirror straight away. The ECB pulled me over. They said they were going to have to fire me.

'Fine me? Why?

'For your tweet.

'The whole dressing room was talking about Kick Knight. Even Flower found him dull, ad if Andy Flower finds you dull...

'I had misjudged the dynamics, though. Nick Knight came to me after I tweeted and said 'If you get into trouble it's not because of me- I don't mind what you tweeted. But, just to let you know, something might happen'...

'The ECB fined me three thousand pounds- for breaching the conditions of the player contract regarding public statements- and they held another five thousand pounds back from my earnings, for any misdemeanours that might arise in the future. I felt like I had bought five grand's worth of tweets.

'I asked them if they had done the same when Swanny had slaughtered me in the book he brought out the previous year...'

Manages to bring two gripes together. This is called synthesis.

[Gingerfinch]

Agree with him about Knight, but fair play to Knight for nit making a big thing about it. I suppose that proves KP was right, and he is dull

[sussexpob]

And the signs are that the people in charge still don't recognise that uniqueness of pressure. Collier likens Flower to some fairly robust football managers. But the two situations are not comparable. Playing cricket is like going to the world cup over and over again (assuming you don't get knocked out after two weeks). In no other sport are you expected to keep going, often so far away, and with so little control. A golfer may live an itinerant life, but can decide to miss a tournament. A cricketer has little say over whether he has to play, or even if he will be dropped.

Someone needs to tell Collier that Alex Ferguson also put trust in youngsters, and developed them into a successful platform for nearly 20 years of domination.Flower took someone elses team and was basically unable to add a single of his picks into the long term fabric.... when that team started to die, so did his career and the teams fortunes.

Anyone who cannot see the power being away from a relationship can have on performance may want to take the case of Rory Mcilroy. He broke up with his gf because she was away playing Tennis, and they acknowledged it was bad for both of them..... he went overnight from forgetting how to hit a golf ball, and a few weeks later had won two majors, a few other tournies, a Ryder Cup, and shot up the rankings to world number 1.

[KipperJohn]

Work is a tough place to be isn't it?

What a load of belly aching which you don't hear from aid workers, oil rig and construction people, medics, servicemen - thousands work long distances away from home without their families for extended periods of time

These are highly paid, well looked after, professional sportsmen doing exactly what they want with their lives - playing a game they love.

Of course there's pressure - but they are all pressing for selection - but then complaining when they get there?

The ECB is a closet self-perpetuating body - to allow things to get to this dreadful state of public acrimony is appalling.

Serious faults from the Board, down through the management to the players themselves.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Agree with him about Knight, but fair play to Knight for nit making a big thing about it. I suppose that proves KP was right, and he is dull :-)

That was a kind thing for Knight to say, which KP repays by telling the world that the England team and coach think he's boring. Of course, KP feels his wrongs are so bad, they justify taking down a few bystanders in his defence. Though NK hasn't really been even handed with KP on air. Another point he makes (my quote was getting a bit long) was that Sky leaned on the ECB for the punishment.

What would I have done? Pretty much nothing. But this was 2012, and that fine was just a small offensive in a larger war.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Work is a tough place to be isn't it?

What a load of belly aching which you don't hear from aid workers, oil rig and construction people, medics, servicemen - thousands work long distances away from home without their families for extended periods of time

Some things are part of essential services, which are different from playing sport, and making as much money as possible for the ECB. Burn out among cricketers is a real problem, not just whingeing on the part of the players. And I reckon the people in those jobs complain all the time (especially those with young families), except, no one follows their tweets and writes banner headlines about them.

[Aidan11]

I forgot about the Knight tweet.

Fair play to Nick though for going up to him about it.

[hopeforthebest]

Agree with him about Knight, but fair play to Knight for nit making a big thing about it. I suppose that proves KP was right, and he is dull

KP attacked Knight because he criticised him for throwing his wicket away with foolish shots something many on here have done. As for Knight as a commentator, rather him than Botham, Bumble, Cork or Colville any day of the week. His occasional batting analysis stints show he knows what he's talking about.

[Gingerfinch]

Agree with him about Knight, but fair play to Knight for nit making a big thing about it. I suppose that proves KP was right, and he is dull

KP attacked Knight because he criticised him for throwing his wicket away with foolish shots something many on here have done. As for Knight as a commentator, rather him than Botham, Bumble, Cork or Colville any day of the week. His occasional batting analysis stints show he knows what he's talking about.

My problem with Knight is he always sits on the fence. If you have knowledge, like must have, then being a commentator/pundit is an easy job. All I ask for is an opinion.

[sussexpob]

Work is a tough place to be isn't it?

What a load of belly aching which you don't hear from aid workers, oil rig and construction people, medics, servicemen - thousands work long distances away from home without their families for extended periods of time

These are highly paid, well looked after, professional sportsmen doing exactly what they want with their lives - playing a game they love

Depression and other mental disorders is generally misunderstood. You don't have to be a hero to suffer from it, and you don't have to be from a high risk group to have it.

Not sure of the point here? All the groups above are known to have extremely high levels of mental disorders, and well documented too. So in a way, you do "hear about it".

[hopeforthebest]

Kp's tweets about Knight is in fact a form of bullying, knowing Knight could hardly abuse him back in public without risking his employment. It seems what's good for the goose, is not good for the gander where KP is concerned. He give it out but can;t take it.

Incidentally I heard KP on 5 live when he agreed he spoke privately to Flower about James Taylor. Apparently he said Taylor was too short and would be better off becoming a jockey rather that a cricketer.

[Arthur Crabtree]

A private conversation which Flower leaked. I agree about the first part though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Depression and other mental disorders is generally misunderstood. You don't have to be a hero to suffer from it, and you don't have to be from a high risk group to have it.

Not sure of the point here? All the groups above are known to have extremely high levels of mental disorders, and well documented too. So in a way, you do "hear about it".

Much better response...

[hopeforthebest]

A private conversation which Flower leaked. I agree about the first part though.

It may have been leaked but still it shows what a rotter he was in his attitude to Taylor and it was pretty sneaky.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He was asked if he thought Taylor was good enough, and he didn't. It was a private conversation, I doubt he would have used the (admittedly facetious and insulting) jockey line otherwise- though no doubt it was meant as a joke. This story was retold as KP saying it in the dressing room in front of the player. It's possible though that that was more Cheese's style.