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I'm not a follower of cricket, neither do particularly like the guy, but this has got to be a new low for the ECB and I do feel a bit for him,
https://cricketerdiaries.wordpress.com/kp-the-south-african-texts/
KP: The South African TextsTo Dale Steyn:
4.50pm: Yeah! And what d’you call a poshboy who hasn’t scored a ton for 3 years—Andrew Strauss! LOL!
5.00pm: He probably hasn’t had a shag in longer than he’s scored a ton! ROFL!
5.05pm: Yeah mate they’re all tadgers.
5.15pm: (*l*)Ledge is such an overused word these days, I’m just a fine cricket player. But thanks mate.
5.22pm: Lol! That’d only happen if you passed these texts onto someone else mate! Lol!
5.30pmYou’re not are you Dale mate?
5.44pm: Dale?
5.47pm: Mate?
5.55pm: You what? I’m a snake in the grass? Well you know what they call you? SHIT! Yeah shit!
5.56pm: As in shit Steyn!
5.57pm: Tosser!
6.10pm: Hey bru I’m sorry. Please don’t show anyone those texts.
shouldn't be eligible for selection anyway playing for a club 2nd bottom of div2 😉
A lot of very good sportsmen are high maintenance, just seems like he's been encouraged into a course of action and then had the door slammed in his face.
Having read his autobiography, I would treat anything he (and in fairness, the ECB as well) say with a large pinch of salt. He's a great player, no question of that but he is also a very challenging character who has upset (or indeed been upset by) a lot of people.
Lets also not forget that he's a 34 year old who averaged under 35 in his last 4 test matches.
Top bantz from the lads there.
He moans publicly (again) about not understanding what he needs to do.
It obviously hasn't occurred to him that shutting his big mouth and stopping being so publicly disruptive might be a good place to start.
He's just not that good any more. He bats 3-5 currently occupied by Ballance, Bell and Root all of whom have been playing well and wouldn't be dropped. You could drop one of the 'alrounders' like Stokes or Jordan but that significantly weakens the bowling. There is an argument for including him in the limited overs squad but that's about it. England need an opener, and he's shown he can't do that, another attacking spin bowler and he's not that and an out and out quick which he is less than the 1st two.
It was said that he needed to play county cricket and score runs, so far he's played 3 matches. In the last one he made a big score against a dismal side (they've not won a match in 2 years) who dropped him [b]5 times[/b]. The previous 4 innings he made 112 in total, big deal.
ECB have handled it appalling badly though, but not helped by Pieterson acting like a spoilt child.
if there's a point where 'high maintenance' becomes 'being a horrible twonk', then it seems Kevin passed that point some time ago.
if there's a point where 'high maintenance' becomes 'being a horrible twonk', then it seems Kevin passed that point some time ago.
...at some speed whilst hurling abuse and flipping the Vs at it out of the window of his twuntmobile.
A friend who worked for the ECB when KP started out always said he was a genuine nice guy, but that was a while ago.
No matter how good he is, it's only a game, and no one man should disrupt a team. But there should be a door ajar for him if the trust issue can be overcome.
Lets also not forget that he's a 34 year old who averaged under 35 in his last 4 test matches.
And his slump in form went further back than that. Of course, the ECB has handled the entire thing appallingly - if only they'd dropped him in view of his age and form, they could've saved themselves all kinds of grief. Then there's the new "plain speaking Yorkshireman" chairman who said one thing and has done another. I almost feel sorry for Pietersen...
Watching Joe Root wear his heart on his sleeve and come off the pitch in Perth having batted far longer than anyone expected and he was gutted that he failed to save the test single handedly after the rest had curled up and died. This tells me that the future of England is not KP.
An amazing talent who has ultimately been undone by his own arrogance and amazing ability to engender dislike wherever he has gone.
The parting gesture from your county [u]captain[/u] of lobbing your kit bag off the balcony after your last game, for example. Not a hot-headed young teammate, note, but your captain with a 20+ year first class career.
Going behind your own international captain's back and taking the piss out of him with someone in the team you are currently playing against!!!!
He has thrown away what could have been an extended swansong by being what he always has been. A self-obsessed pillock.
I heard one of the best quotes about KP on radio 4 driving home last night from one of their guests. He said "You know you are in trouble when Piers Morgan is your main supporter" Brilliant!!!
he's always wanted to pick and choose his own matches that he does or doesn't play in, he wants to bat at 3 or 2, he wants the cash of the IPL when it suits
the petulant tone of the torygraph article just confirms that Strauss is right - what's the point in selecting an older player when the main priority is rebuilding the team as a whole?
My brothers have played (youth)cricket for years with some of the England team...KP is not a popular chap in the dressing room , the word I heard was "self obsessed".
I agree that the team should move on rebuilding a youthful team. Strauss should have said as much.
Why offer someone a backroom roll when there are trust issues?
Bad start for Strauss imo.
Cricket is a team sport and he's not a team player. He should never had been given the impression there was a way back. Colleagues here suggest that it's illegal to ban him totally so he should have been given a formal 5 year ban for the texting incident, then a top up for the book. That would have been clearer.
Always thought it said a lot about him that he wanted to play for England and not South Africa