Kevin Pietersen's Autobiography.

[Making_Splinters]

Couldn't disagree more, KJ. Review, reflection and transparency is exactly what is needed, and if KPs book is a small step in that path then it should be welcomed.

If that had been done in the appropriate manner all well and good, but it wasn't. Now all you have is a public slanging match. The time for a proper 'review' has passed, the opportunity lost and there have been significant changes in both management and players since.

If it's your judgement that what is happening now is a sensible part of a review process well good luck.

I don't think it is ideal, but it's better than nothing. KP has talked about the lack of support he got over his injuries, look at England's recent track record of managing their players, even under the new regime we saw Prior brought back when he was in no shape to play. A player bringing that up in the press is better than the refusal to acknowledge there is an issue.

[KipperJohn]

It's his autobiography. It's an overview of his life and his career. I can't see why he shouldn't cover topics that feel important to him.

He says there was bullying within the dressing room. It may do some good in the future to make that point now. And if it suited the ECB to whitewash over the Ashes whitewash, and make one significant decision, to end KP's international career, then why would he follow the agenda that has obviously hurt him so much? It's his story to tell. It's easy enough to ignore.

It all looks so bad because the ECB have handled things so badly.

I actually wouldn't argue with that AC. The last sentence is the clincher - if there had been a proper, independent review of the tour, authorised by the ECB with no caveats, with a full report .and recommendations then things might have been very different.

KP is entitled like anyone else to write a book. He might well have published a book anyway, even if still playing for England.

However, it's not the same as submitting evidence to an inquiry, neither are any other players or officials public statements.

[hopeforthebest]

Interesting tweet from Tremlett: "Glad @KP24 has finally been able to give his side of the story. People can now make an informed opinion of what went on in the dressing room"

I can imagine after the horror that the tall bowlers endured, that Tremlett, Finn and Rankin will welcome a critical exposition of the ashes tour.

Tremlett took 4-120 in his only test, not sure where this idea of him having a disaster comes from.

I changed the word disaster to horror to describe the way in which those three were handled throughout the tour. Being dropped after one test can hardly have been a pleasure for him.

[sussexpob]

It's his autobiography. It's an overview of his life and his career. I can't see why he shouldn't cover topics that feel important to him.

He says there was bullying within the dressing room. It may do some good in the future to make that point now. And if it suited the ECB to whitewash over the Ashes whitewash, and make one significant decision, to end KP's international career, then why would he follow the agenda that has obviously hurt him so much? It's his story to tell. It's easy enough to ignore.

It all looks so bad because the ECB have handled things so badly.

I actually wouldn't argue with that AC. The last sentence is the clincher - if there had been a proper, independent review of the tour, authorised by the ECB with no caveats, with a full report .and recommendations then things might have been very different.

KP is entitled like anyone else to write a book. He might well have published a book anyway, even if still playing for England.

However, it's not the same as submitting evidence to an inquiry, neither are any other players or officials public statements.

Didn't Giles Clarke say in the summer that it was utterly preposterous that the team was in crisis, and basically inferred no enquiry would ever happen?

The ECB nailed their colours to the mast early on this front, it was hardly like they put their hands up and were going to acknowledge any of this was going on. Regardless of how its done, if this at least breaks down the wilful neglect of those at the ECB who seem to be "problem, what problem" and have entrenched themselves into an extreme position simply as a self defence mechanism, then this is a positive thing, regardless of what forum was picked for the criticism, or the benefits said revelations make to those who purport them!

[Aidan11]

Was it ever discovered who created the fake KP twitter account?

[hopeforthebest]

I looked up Gies Clarke and I see he like Downton was an investment banker, which tell me all I need to know about this pair. Does the ECB have a call centre in India yet.

[sussexpob]

I looked up Gies Clarke and I see he like Downton was an investment banker, which tell me all I need to know about this pair. Does the ECB have a call centre in India yet.

I am pretty sure when Downton was promoted after overseeing our worst loss in cricket history, Clarke said that Downton was the perfect person to manage England cricket moving forward, down to the fact he had been successful in the City of London. He specifically mentioned Downton's ability to manage a fiscal budget and produce profitability, or words to that meaning.

Rather uncovers the priority in the ECB. We should replace coaches with bankers to, so every players profitability is micro managed.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Though, obviously that doesn't mean Downton is suited to making cricketing decisions. As Pietersen says, it wasn't his job to make selection decisions. That was a role expansion of his own making. It was his job to liaise between the team and the ECB. To get what the team needed from the resources available. That was the description of the job Morris did.

[#Brown]

Seems to be a rather sensationalised, and quite a nasty piece of work…all for profit of course.

“As a coach he’s amazing because he listens so much and makes everyone feel welcome in the dressing room. Everyone has an opinion. I think that is incredible. I really think he’s a fantastic coach.”

KP on Flower – September 2011

In his book: Flower is portrayed as a useless coach, and a ‘mood-hoover’.

“It’s a nicer environment now. We’ve all grown up, and actually got a lot tighter. If you look at the environment now, it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m not lying, and being real straight. We are all having so much fun, and that front page [of the courier mail] was funny because ten hours before that we’d all had an amazing dinner. We had such a good time together.”

KP on THE ashes tour, 100th test press conference in Brisbane.

In his book: Disastrous tour from the start.

To paraphrase Athers in the times this morning (where I got the quotes from), I’m not saying it’s all made up, but it might not be worth taking some of it that seriously. After this summer, the entire thing is getting rather boring now.

[KipperJohn]

Just to lighten the mood, nice pic of Ian Bell who obviously has more important things on his mind.

Ian Bell.jpg (27.25 KiB) Viewed 1311 times

[Arthur Crabtree]

Tremlett has said that now people will know what it was like.

Some of the name calling seems unedifying. Making a point and backing it up seems worthwhile. Just returning the ridicule is less so.

[sussexpob]

Seems to be a rather sensationalised, and quite a nasty piece of work…all for profit of course.

“As a coach he’s amazing because he listens so much and makes everyone feel welcome in the dressing room. Everyone has an opinion. I think that is incredible. I really think he’s a fantastic coach.”

KP on Flower – September 2011

In his book: Flower is portrayed as a useless coach, and a ‘mood-hoover’.

“It’s a nicer environment now. We’ve all grown up, and actually got a lot tighter. If you look at the environment now, it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m not lying, and being real straight. We are all having so much fun, and that front page [of the courier mail] was funny because ten hours before that we’d all had an amazing dinner. We had such a good time together.”

KP on THE ashes tour, 100th test press conference in Brisbane.

In his book: Disastrous tour from the start.

To paraphrase Athers in the times this morning (where I got the quotes from), I’m not saying it’s all made up, but it might not be worth taking some of it that seriously. After this summer, the entire thing is getting rather boring now.

How many sportsmen say at the press conference....

"What the manager?? Yeah he is a prat, I hate him".... "and this tour? Yeah, we are going to get hammered because non of us are focused because our coach is too busy torturing our new players for not getting the bowling attack drinks at the bar last night"....

The standard PR nonsense nowadays is to give the "everything is 100%" nonsense.

[hopeforthebest]

This is a well written piece from George Dobell.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/con ... 87701.html

Of course he is someone who believes KP should still be playing for England.

[SaintPowelly]

It is no coincidence that KP has found enemies at Notts, Hants, Surrey and England.

There probably is some truth in what he says, and there probably are a lot of a***holes in the England dressing room, but none bigger than KP.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's often repeated about KP being hated at the clubs he was at, and he may have by some. But Hampshire players Tremlett and Warne haven't held grudges against him. Don't know if Carberry was at Hants then, but he has backed KP. The chairman generally had little bad to say about him, and mainly regretted Kevin wasn't able to play for the county more. Cork and KP don't get on. Was Cork at Hants then? Notts didn't want him to leave for all the aggro. KP accepts he made mistakes, and I imagine he'll feel he did at Notts in particular. But often people level this at Pietersen as if it is an accepted truth, and as if no one else was part of the problem. It looks like with England he contributed to dressing room acrimony, but was only part of the problem.

KP had to kowtow and bite his lip continually as an England player. Particularly during his ridiculous reintegration. He always did what was asked of him to continue for England, however humiliating. His supposedly monumental ego was often surmounted.