The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[Albondiga]

The outcome of an incident should be is your opinion, D/L.

I do think the repeated failures in management across Flower's tenure somewhat undermine the phrase, "unmanageable". When an international coach can't even manage player's injuries, I suppose we have to accept slightly lower expectations when it comes to handling more difficult situations.

Flower never managed to sort out the number 6 slot, so I may agree given his limited management capabilities that KP was unmanageable for him.

I admired Andy Flower as a player but not as a manager BUT it is unfair to say he never sorted out the number SIX slot when results have proven that ,at the moment, there is nobody good enough . You can"t find what is not there.

[D/L]

The outcome of an incident should be is your opinion, D/L.

I do think the repeated failures in management across Flower's tenure somewhat undermine the phrase, "unmanageable". When an international coach can't even manage player's injuries, I suppose we have to accept slightly lower expectations when it comes to handling more difficult situations.

Flower never managed to sort out the number 6 slot, so I may agree given his limited management capabilities that KP was unmanageable for him.

The outcome, perhaps, but not the incident itself, which Pietersen admitted, M_S.

As far as managing players' injuries are concerned, any player and any coach will almost always defer to medical advice. Coaches have very little to do with managing injuries, so the relevance of any comparison with managing "more difficult situations" is rather difficult to see.

As Albondiga says, nobody, since the admirable Collingwood, has really made a genuine claim to the #6 spot during Flower's time in charge.

[mikesiva]

"KP is one of the best. Any team would love to have him in their ranks. I think it was disrespectful how he was treated and the way he went out but you never know what happens behind closed doors. I'm glad I won't be facing him on the field. He's a tremendous asset and someday I hope he gets back into the England mix if the door ever re-opens."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ ... 26235.html

Gayle standing up for his good friend?

[Durhamfootman]

IPL buddies?

[meninblue]

"KP is one of the best. Any team would love to have him in their ranks. I think it was disrespectful how he was treated and the way he went out but you never know what happens behind closed doors. I'm glad I won't be facing him on the field. He's a tremendous asset and someday I hope he gets back into the England mix if the door ever re-opens."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ ... 26235.html

Gayle standing up for his good friend?

Many England test match players have made themselves available for auction in IPL in past 6 years.But the franchisees have opted for few of them in past 5 years and just one England player this year.He i think is the most highly paid foreign player in IPL.Those franchisees which did not win the bid also said that they were lookign to ahve him in squad.The point is it's just not Gayle who rates him in top quality, but all franchisees and many Indian players rate him as prolific T20 batsman.

[meninblue]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spor ... 797432.cms

Sports ministry gives clearance for Kevin Pietersen's India visa

[Arthur Crabtree]

In spite of his ECB dossier.

[mikesiva]

"I've had that said about me in the past and it's hurtful, by my own fans in the Caribbean and some by others. But they need to know that it's always a cricketer's dream to wear his international colours. That term 'mercenary' will hurt cricket," he said. "These same mercenaries are the ones who are representing all the countries in the World T20s who everyone will be supporting so why use that word?....I had bills to pay and all cricketers have the same. We still do," he said. "T20 is a good way of earning extra income to secure your future and your family's. Many people don't get that. I'm more comfortable financial-wise now and I'm looking to play West Indies cricket for a few more years. All I wanted to do was come back and play for the West Indies. When I wasn't in the team, I had to play T20s to pay the bills and look at what happened in 2012. We won the World T20 and so many players like myself, [Dwayne] Bravo and Sunil Narine gained from our IPL experiences. We have more West Indies players in the IPL now and it's great for [Krishmar] Santokie and Jason Holder to get this experience. And make a living....You look at someone like KP," he added. "He could have made money for years now playing T20s but he stuck with England. It's national pride. Now, maybe he will be going out there and be playing more T20s and making big money but no one believes us when players like us say we always want to play for our country first and foremost. The game has changed and there's a lot of cricket being played so T20s do clash with tours and such but we can iron and fix this out. Maybe it's all about proper T20 windows, who knows? But I'm sure if England called KP up now he'd jump at the chance to play for his country. That's across the board for players like us. We always would."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 28049.html

Desmond Haynes also supports what Gayle says....

[GarlicJam]

as usual, Gayle isn't making a great deal of sense.

He bristles at being called a mercenary, yet admits to playing T20 cricket all around the world because he likes the money (not that I blame him in the slightest for that).

Isn't this the same Gayle that gave up test cricket so he could make more money playing T20?

[D/L]

I reckon the claim that "national pride" played much part in Pietersen's motives for playing for England may be a little wide of the mark.

[Making_Splinters]

as usual, Gayle isn't making a great deal of sense.

He bristles at being called a mercenary, yet admits to playing T20 cricket all around the world because he likes the money (not that I blame him in the slightest for that).

Isn't this the same Gayle that gave up test cricket so he could make more money playing T20?

Windies' players don't get the same rewards as their South African, English, Indian or Australian counter parts. Gayle isn't a mercenary, he's just trying to get an even take compared to a large number of other players.

[meninblue]

"I've had that said about me in the past and it's hurtful, by my own fans in the Caribbean and some by others. But they need to know that it's always a cricketer's dream to wear his international colours. That term 'mercenary' will hurt cricket," he said. "These same mercenaries are the ones who are representing all the countries in the World T20s who everyone will be supporting so why use that word?....I had bills to pay and all cricketers have the same. We still do," he said. "T20 is a good way of earning extra income to secure your future and your family's. Many people don't get that. I'm more comfortable financial-wise now and I'm looking to play West Indies cricket for a few more years. All I wanted to do was come back and play for the West Indies. When I wasn't in the team, I had to play T20s to pay the bills and look at what happened in 2012. We won the World T20 and so many players like myself, [Dwayne] Bravo and Sunil Narine gained from our IPL experiences. We have more West Indies players in the IPL now and it's great for [Krishmar] Santokie and Jason Holder to get this experience. And make a living....You look at someone like KP," he added. "He could have made money for years now playing T20s but he stuck with England. It's national pride. Now, maybe he will be going out there and be playing more T20s and making big money but no one believes us when players like us say we always want to play for our country first and foremost. The game has changed and there's a lot of cricket being played so T20s do clash with tours and such but we can iron and fix this out. Maybe it's all about proper T20 windows, who knows? But I'm sure if England called KP up now he'd jump at the chance to play for his country. That's across the board for players like us. We always would."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 28049.html

Desmond Haynes also supports what Gayle says....

Add to it the amount of money these highly paid cricketers donate to organizations related to welfare of under privileged/disabled children and other such activities. People do not see that. They think all the money these cricketers earn go into their own pocket only.

This is how helpful KP is as a person irrespective of how ECB have portrayed him as villain in dressing room:

http://www.anchorfan.com/image/kevin-pi ... 59807.html

http://www.bgcpartners.com/news-centre/ ... 01719.html

[GarlicJam]

Windies' players don't get the same rewards as their South African, English, Indian or Australian counter parts. Gayle isn't a mercenary, he's just trying to get an even take compared to a large number of other players.

No argument with your first sentence, MS, but the second I just cannot agree with. However, the word mercenary is not a derogatory word in itself - but it is taken as one. Did he not give up test cricket to play T20 around the traps for money?

Both you and I agree, that it boils down to money, as Gayle himself alludes to. As I have said, I don't blame him for this, but he can't then and go and try to use the "it's my country first and foremost" line, when it patently isn't true.

[D/L]

Windies' players don't get the same rewards as their South African, English, Indian or Australian counter parts. Gayle isn't a mercenary, he's just trying to get an even take compared to a large number of other players.

No argument with your first sentence, MS, but the second I just cannot agree with. However, the word mercenary is not a derogatory word in itself - but it is taken as one. Did he not give up test cricket to play T20 around the traps for money?

Both you and I agree, that it boils down to money, as Gayle himself alludes to. As I have said, I don't blame him for this, but he can't then and go and try to use the "it's my country first and foremost" line, when it patently isn't true.

Yes, the "country first" thing when it comes to making such choices should nearly always be taken with a pinch of salt, no matter who says it, particularly if the person concerned has a family whose financial security he is looking to.

[Arthur Crabtree]

This is how helpful KP is as a person irrespective of how ECB have portrayed him as villain in dressing room:

http://www.anchorfan.com/image/kevin-pi ... 59807.html

http://www.bgcpartners.com/news-centre/ ... 01719.html

I've mentioned this before, but, for the last time. Before the 2010 Ashes Test in Brisbane KP expressed his sympathy for flood victims in Queensland before the first Test in Brisbane, and gave some money and cricketing items to the disaster appeal over and above contributions made by the whole team. Come the first Test at the Gabba, KP got booed out into the middle.... Showing Kevin is whatever the opposite is of teflon coated.