The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[rich1uk]

i really dont know what to say about that article

hope he hasn't given up his day job

makes you wonder how an article like that can end up even being printed when it has so many factual errors tbh

aren't we passed the stage of blaming pietersen for strauss's retiral when the man himself said he had basically made the decision to retire before "text-gate" even happened but here its dragged up again , for what ?

[D/L]

Sad to say, there is much in that article that rings true.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That article was an essay in wish fulfilment. He has no evidence to use as a basis of his suppositions. It seems low standard stuff to me.

After the difficulties of last summer, England are now more enthusiastically embracing squad rotation. Maybe like when he spoke up against Moores, KP was punished for telling an uncomfortable truth. I see Flower now says that the whole job is too much! And I can believe it is. Pietersen must be completely bewildered though.

[hopeforthebest]

That article was an essay in wish fulfilment. He has no evidence to use as a basis of his suppositions. It seems low standard stuff to me.

After the difficulties of last summer, England are now more enthusiastically embracing squad rotation. Maybe like when he spoke up against Moores, KP was punished for telling an uncomfortable truth. I see Flower now says that the whole job is too much! And I can believe it is. Pietersen must be completely bewildered though.

It was a rubbish article AC but your regular postings painting KP as the innocent victim is not much better.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I quite liked my post... But it wasn't my intention to point out KP's (obvious) victimhood. My point being that they've rolled out changes in line with what Pietersen was questioning. Even to the point where Flower's job has been sawn in half.

[hopeforthebest]

I quite liked my post... But it wasn't my intention to point out KP's (obvious) victimhood. My point being that they've rolled out changes in line with what Pietersen was questioning. Even to the point where Flower's job has been sawn in half.

The question of Andy Flower's heavy load has been a topic of comment and concern for a very long time well before this last summer.

[Dilbert]

There are so many things wrong in that article, but a few of them are real gems

Kevin Pietersen may ultimately turn out to be one of the greatest men ever to play Test cricket. But he is not, and never will be, a Test batsman.

But the real problem is not the low-level bitterness that will continue to fester amongst England’s seasoned campaigners

So atleast he agrees there is "low-level bitterness" among other team mates.... and their "holier than thou" attitude is just a facade

the sanction for Pietersen was one Test missed. The sanction for Strauss was the end of his career.

Wow, even Shane warne couldnt put so much spin in his whole career....

it can also be wasteful and destructive, such as in the second innings in Ahmedabad, where he was bowled round his legs after attempting a foolish slog sweep.

Umm, Bells shot in the 1st innings anyone?

he will only ever play one way – aggressive, flamboyant, risky. The Pietersen way, not the team’s way.
That of itself has always created tensions in the dressing room, where Pietersen’s team-mates have long suspected that he was primarily playing for himself, rather than the common cause

If one plays too slowly, and takes a winning position to a draw, just to ensure his 100, I believe thats selfish. But if one takes more risks to ensure your team is in a winning position, hows that selfish? Selfish is asking someone to do that role so you dont have to take risks !!!

[greyblazer]

Anyone who has made 3 double hundreds and averages over 50 can't bat at one pace. The only one who can perhaps do that is S'wag. The writer must have forgotten the way KP played at Lord's in 2011/02. He was on 21 of 79 balls after the 1st day's play.

Selfish? What about the way he played against Akthar to save a game at F'bad in 05/06? England had lost early wickets and the way Akthar was bowling, it seemed like a batsman would either lose his stumps, or will be hit on the head. With so many gaps around, KP could have scored more, but he curbed his natural instincts just enough. What about his quickfire 89 at Nagpur in 06? England needed someone to score quickly to declare and KP did just that. If he wanted to, KP could have taken 11 easy singles as the field was well spread.

Cook? his game is to make the bowlers bowl to him. Dravid? yet again it was the same for Dravid. When their respective teams needed quick runs, both would try to go after the bowling. In the end say Dravid would sacrifice his wicket as someone else could do a better job than him.

KP? His game is to come hard at the bowlers. When conditions needed him to curb his natural instincts, he has tried to do that. The game at Lord's in 2011 is a very good example of that. His natural game is to be aggressive though. In a team you can't have 6 Cooks nor 6 KPs.

Defence? the writer doesn't know anything about it. At Mumbai, KP's defence was as good as any. When he either went forward, or back he trusted his defence and as a result did well. It wasn't a crazy innings as he constructed it beautifully. He looked to smash it a lot straighter and rotated the strike well too. There was a method to even that knock played by KP. In the end, it is about scoring runs and KP does a good job of that. Anyway, cricket is about winning games and KP has opened up lots of games for England in his career.

Strauss? he himself has agreed that his retirement doesn't have anything to do with what KP did.

[D/L]

That article was an essay in wish fulfilment. He has no evidence to use as a basis of his suppositions. It seems low standard stuff to me...

Surely, you’re not suggesting someone would use conjecture on the subject of Pietersen, AC?

The article is probably spot on about the bitterness. It seems completely obvious that there would be plenty of that following the way Pietersen behaved this summer.

[Making_Splinters]

I can't really believe that some in the media are still trying to keep this saga alive to be honest.

[Gingerfinch]

I can't really believe that some in the media are still trying to keep this saga alive to be honest.

Yeah, history now. Not sure he shold have been picked for the Indian tour but he has, so best to back him and hope he score runs.

[D/L]

I’m not altogether too sure how sound a principle it is that anything that happened in the past should be forgotten and/or forgiven.

Any road up, Pietersen’s antics are recent enough to still be fresh in team mates’ memories, hence the bitterness, probably.

[hopeforthebest]

It came out on TMS that KP was sleeping in the de luxe wing of the hotel away from the rest of the team, maybe that was to avoid the media who are in the same hotel. I believe he breakfasted with the team though.

[Alviro Patterson]

It came out on TMS that KP was sleeping in the de luxe wing of the hotel away from the rest of the team, maybe that was to avoid the media who are in the same hotel. I believe he breakfasted with the team though.

In the honeymoon suite with Piers Morgan

So much for integration, couldn't be more segregated!

[greyblazer]

KP given a full contract? Well isn't he the same player who should have never again played for England