The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[Kim]

I am quite devastatingly pissed at all those who are drawing such strong generalisations about KP's personality.

But its alright for you to draw generalisations about those that work in the ECB and label them as untrustworthy, incompetant, even though you dont know them. Interesting, point of view.....

But the ECB are the only ones to leak private meetings in all this, AFAIK.

Shouldnt have but its a massive distraction. They wouldnt have had to leak fact that KP wanted time off for the IPL if he hadnt been shall we say "economical with the truth" about his reasons for retiring.

How did the press come to now how KP felt about the fake account? Doubt Broad told them!

[Aidan11]

I nearly choked on my sandwich when the ECB statement said they would hold private talks behind closed doors.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lost for words. This is the ECB that doesnt punish Swann for publically passing derogatory comments regarding a teammate. This is the same ECB that doesnt punish Stuart Broad that contained swear words but punishes KP for the "Knightgate". This is the same ECB that allowed Strauss to quit one of the shorter formats but changed the rules when they came know to about KP's possible retirement. This is the same ECB who leaked the details of a private meeting but are reportedly annoyed with KP's you tube video.
So consistent. :salute

Their reaction to the leaked story about Pietersen's supposed texts to South African players has also handed a huge advantage to the tourists. The ECB didn't know what these texts were, or even if they were existed. They allowed this to tear apart their preparation for Lord's. Is it impossible that they accepted the story as it worked in their own favour, rather than the favour of the England team? It isolated Pietersen further, which has been their method all summer. Whether intentional or not.

They have isolated the player, whether by leaking contract negotiations (that's all they were) directly to the press. By fining him for a quite defensible criticism of Nick Knight, done publicly. And by waving past criticism and mockery of him by other players.

And when he reacted to any of this, in ways any person would, with an air of disillusionment, despair and vulnerability, they have made bloody sure he further exposed to the one eyed scrutiny of the press who have only ever shown interest in one side of the story. Which has been a bit surprising and very disappointing.

Probably motivated by KP's stance in trying to settle England commitments, the ECB have continually blocked his path to any further England career, and thus entrapped, have requested ever greater humiliation from him in order that he might continue to play for England. If they now suspend him for agreeing to his latest, contorted apology, then that must be the final ignominy. Surely he must have enough self respect left not to agree to that.

It plays out pretty much as an allegory of the individual vs the establishment. And as ever, even those who are not part of the establishment, take their side!

[meninblue]

Now that KP has finally taken the responsibility of all the mess he might be considered for the selection. However, i am afraid that he has already spoiled the team focus for this series as well as future ones. Also he has developed differences with the board, the captain, coach and players. I hope if he was a sensible cricketer too, not just a excellent batsman.

We know KP has apologised Adi, but we don't know why. But as as things stand, as long as Pietersen isn't punished further, and the ECB review how this situation was handled, I hope England just try and kill this story in the press and move on. My opinion of UK newspapers and the ECB further diminished.

Well, i think he apologize because:
(1) His test career was at stake as he was dropped for sending derogatory messages and team ethics and all that.
(2) Once a player loses international presence , his purchasing power in other tournaments like IPL, Big Bash, BPL, SCL etc reduce than what it would ahve been if he was part of an international team.
(3)Maybe he actually felt guilty and couldn't be at peace that he did it. So he apologized by heart.
(4) Maybe he perhaps realized that if he goes against the thoughts of captains, coaches and English players then he himself is at loss.

I think , he has done the best thing, although late. It will minimize the damage this mess has caused for the ECB, some players like Strauss, Andy and KP himself.

Media will not keep quiet. They actually enjoy and need such sensational issues. Nothing better than this. Actually something like a suspense thriller, people not knowing who was behind the parody tweeter account and whether KP sent the SMS or not. Media will stretch it like rubber band until it breaks.

[Making_Splinters]

For such a short statement Morris managed to make a couple of interesting tit bits most notably the referance to provocative texts as opposed to derogatory.

I definitely inhaled some coffee when I saw the line about it being critical for discussions to be behind closed doors and out of the media.

I wonder how much of this shift has been down to Strauss getting involved in the issue as of the last few days.

[Kim]

Arthur - "The ECB didn't know what these texts were, or even if they were existed."

How do you know that? My guess - and it is a guess - is that they knew all along that the texts existed and what was in them - but couldnt prove it. They wouldnt surely have acted as they did on a hunch.

And as it turns out they were right after all, I dont think thats a lucky coincidence.

[hopeforthebest]

On the Vaughan and Tuffers show Monday evening the guy who ghosted a book for Pietersen said that a fellow journalist had information from a totally reliable source that the texts were sent and contained criticism of Strauss although the remarks about Flower were vebally made in conversations with the SA players.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well, i think he apologize because:
(1) His test career was at stake as he was dropped for sending derogatory messages and team ethics and all that.

I think that is obviously true. The rest is guess work. I mean, just as valid guess work as anyone else... I think the ECB have used KPs real desire to play for England to its own end. Why KP has that desire is up for conjecture. KP says it is 'absolutely not about money'. We can choose to believe him or not.

My view of the affair tends to leave out the ECB leaks. They were intended to give the ECB an advantage and to present their own point of view. I don't see how they can be trusted, especially out of the context of the rest of the discussions.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Arthur - "The ECB didn't know what these texts were, or even if they were existed."

How do you know that? My guess - and it is a guess - is that they knew all along that the texts existed and what was in them - but couldnt prove it. They wouldnt surely have acted as they did on a hunch.

And as it turns out they were right after all, I dont think thats a lucky coincidence.

They knew about the texts because of the Daily Mail article. They can't have known anything about them, because they were asking Pietersen to confirm or deny them. I've not read anywhere that the ECB had seen any texts. They didn't say they had. If they had, why would they be asking KP to acknowledge what they were. I thought you'd put me right on this thread that KP had the chance to prove last Sunday that there were no texts?

[hopeforthebest]

[quote="Arthur CrabtreeMy view of the affair tends to leave out the ECB leaks. They were intended to give the ECB an advantage and to present their own point of view. I don't see how they can be trusted, especially out of the context of the rest of the discussions.[/quote]

The leak is only impotant in the way you suggest if it was instigated at a high level. If it was simply some minion getting a free lunch it's a different matter and I've seen nor heard any evidence to say who leaked.

[Making_Splinters]

[quote="Arthur Crabtree] My view of the affair tends to leave out the ECB leaks. They were intended to give the ECB an advantage and to present their own point of view. I don't see how they can be trusted, especially out of the context of the rest of the discussions.[/quote]

The leak is only impotant in the way you suggest if it was instigated at a high level. If it was simply some minion getting a free lunch it's a different matter and I've seen nor heard any evidence to say who leaked.[/quote]

There needs to be a full review of how English Cricket deals with the media, the amount of times the media has had some involvement in this saga would be embarrassing for any company.

[Kim]

Arthur - "The ECB didn't know what these texts were, or even if they were existed."

How do you know that? My guess - and it is a guess - is that they knew all along that the texts existed and what was in them - but couldnt prove it. They wouldnt surely have acted as they did on a hunch.

And as it turns out they were right after all, I dont think thats a lucky coincidence.

They knew about the texts because of the Daily Mail article. They can't have known anything about them, because they were asking Pietersen to confirm or deny them. I've not read anywhere that the ECB had seen any texts. They didn't say they had. If they had, why would they be asking KP to acknowledge what they were. I thought you'd put me right on this thread that KP had the chance to prove last Sunday that there were no texts?

We knew about the texts because of the Daily Mail article. Im not sure we know how the ECB found out.

They didnt have to see the texts to know they exist or what is in them is the point. They havent seen them now. My view is they wouldnt have taken the action they did if they werent 100% sure of what had gone on.

[OffStumpYorker]

I am quite devastatingly pissed at all those who are drawing such strong generalisations about KP's personality.

But its alright for you to draw generalisations about those that work in the ECB and label them as untrustworthy, incompetant, even though you dont know them. Interesting, point of view.....

But the ECB are the only ones to leak private meetings in all this, AFAIK.

Are they, they are the only ones that the press has pointed the finger at and as of yet there is no clarificationof who at the ECB leaked these stories or if they were part of the negotiation team or just repeating internal coffee machine tittle tattle.

Until the papers name thier source at the ECB it will only ever be suposition as to the source of the leaks and if they were officially sanctioned.

Knowing the british papers that leak things from governments, police, and royal house holds, they will hve someone on the inside in a middle management/jinor role who they pay for this information. They may not get the whole truth but enough to publish a story fleshed out with a few plausible and intuitive guesses.

this much we have learnt from the Phone hacking enquiry that has been held this year.

[Kim]

Well, i think he apologize because:
(1) His test career was at stake as he was dropped for sending derogatory messages and team ethics and all that.

I think that is obviously true. The rest is guess work. I mean, just as valid guess work as anyone else... I think the ECB have used KPs real desire to play for England to its own end. Why KP has that desire is up for conjecture. KP says it is 'absolutely not about money'. We can choose to believe him or not.

My view of the affair tends to leave out the ECB leaks. They were intended to give the ECB an advantage and to present their own point of view. I don't see how they can be trusted, especially out of the context of the rest of the discussions.

An advantage? The only leak I know of is the one about KP not in fact wanting rest but wanting to play IPL instead of tests.

This leak was to counteract KPs retirement statement where he said it was all about wanting rest. It wasnt about seeking advantage but about (albeit sneakily) letting the world know the true situation. If KP hasnt been so economical with the truth it wouldnt have happened.

Obv if there have been other leaks, above might be BS.

Not that two wrongs make a right - but how did the press know about Kps unhapiness aboy the parody account?

IMO its been a PR war on both sides (EG Kps video ) and its an unfortanate fact of life that leaking is part of it. Think theres a danger of beating the ECB over the head over an unpleasant tactic while totalling ignoring just how badly KP has apparently behaved.

[meninblue]

I don't see what media is doing wrong here. When some media exposed Salman and his gang about fixing as well as 5 IPL players it was very helpful for the cricket. So we all welcomed it. But now that even though this is not useful for cricket in general, it is still useful for English cricket and particularly the ECB and English thinktank. And yes, media will never tell these stories privately because such efforts and stories would not bring them huge revenues. They will try to maximise revenue by leaking in public. Where they get from or which paper exposes it , is irrelevant to me. The information they leak is of relevance IMO. So why should the media be blamed now. We have to accept their findings for betterment of cricket. We cannot be choosy as far as the information coming is true, as it was in this mess.