It's Tough Being Me - The Kevin Pietersen Story

[Prince EWS]

I think, where KP is concerned, there's a big difference between just doing your own thing but producing the results anyway and just actually be a huge **** to deal with in general. I tend to side with Halsey in the idea that not everyone is the same and different processes work for different people, so if a player can get on the piss and still perform, for example, then so be it. If it works for him and he's not hurting anyone else then it shouldn't affect morale or the functionality of the team.

The dossier suggests Pietersen went well beyond that into essentially trying to undermine everyone above him, put down everyone below him and feud with those on equal standing, and obviously that sort of thing can really dent team morale to the point of players having a much shorter leash on their performances before they become a liability. I think sacking him was the right call.

I don't think treating one guy as a 'special case' is really how things should be done, but rather treating everyone as 'special cases' and realising individuals will get different benefits out of different modes of preparation. I think that's where England's man management has been pretty awful here in general -- too many general standards and not enough discretion. Perhaps by recognising that better in the first place Pietersen might've been less of a ****, but who really knows?

 

[NasserFan207]

So there was a time, not too long back, when playing in the national team didn't used to be about team exercises, and bonding, and team spirit and all that, but just eleven guys getting together, and getting **** done on the field. There was less, say, back-office.

I am genuinely interested to know what people here think has been the blessings of today's more hands-on team spirit culture. Would KP have had a longer run in the earlier era culture?

Well 100 years ago you probably had to be related to the royal family to get a gig, so some things have improved.

 

[Jarquis]

Alec Stewart backing up KP's version of events surrounding the fake account and Carberry coming out this morning with a tweet saying he and KP had never had an issue.

I really wish I didn't care about the whole saga but it's just so entertaining to follow. It's like the Christmas storyline to a crap soap where it's been building for months.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

KP reminds me of Akhtar and how much a diva he was.

According to Akhtar he would have been a great player if he had played under Imran.

I wonder how good KP would have been if his captain had been some of England's previous captains like Atherton, etc or even Imran, who managed to control players like Miandad and Wasim.

 

[jan]

Any statement from G.Clarke on the whole thing?
This is going to end up in court.

 

[Spark]

I think, where KP is concerned, there's a big difference between just doing your own thing but producing the results anyway and just actually be a huge **** to deal with in general. I tend to side with Halsey in the idea that not everyone is the same and different processes work for different people, so if a player can get on the piss and still perform, for example, then so be it. If it works for him and he's not hurting anyone else then it shouldn't affect morale or the functionality of the team.

The dossier suggests Pietersen went well beyond that into essentially trying to undermine everyone above him, put down everyone below him and feud with those on equal standing, and obviously that sort of thing can really dent team morale to the point of players having a much shorter leash on their performances before they become a liability. I think sacking him was the right call.

I don't think treating one guy as a 'special case' is really how things should be done, but rather treating everyone as 'special cases' and realising individuals will get different benefits out of different modes of preparation. I think that's where England's man management has been pretty awful here in general -- too many general standards and not enough discretion. Perhaps by recognising that better in the first place Pietersen might've been less of a ****, but who really knows?

The thing is though, this could all be true but at the end of the day it isn't actually very interesting - KP, rightly or no, is done, and arguing about how fair that was isn't meaningful in and of itself.

What is meaningful is England's ability to man-manage exceptional talents, the rigidity of the coaching and management structure and the power structures within the dressing room (especially given that several of the major "culprits" still play). That matters, because that's still around.

 

[grecian]

If Giles Clarke could be removed from the ECB, it would make this whole farce almost worthwhile. It's pretty much known he's behind the leaks, yet he's hardly scrutinised like all the others in this pathetic nonsense.

Honestly, this thing was dying down, most people (even his supporters) were saying the book was just ranting narcissism with the odd good point thrown in.

Then this stupid dossier has been released and it's all switched round, with bits that can be easily disproven. Honestly the pure unadulterated idiocy is something that is hard to comprehend. This story will never die, and it's just pathetic.

Edit: Oh and Vic is right, just shows he's spent time in England, it's been perfect timing for this storm with no football. It's the only reason Talksport are talking about it, or the Tabs are putting it on the back-pages.

 

[Furball]

Excellent idea - when can we expect it?

Probably never.

A shame I didn't get around to it earlier though, a couple of my theories have been borne out by Pietersen's side of events to a degree.

 

[SteveNZ]

KP strikes me as someone who fiercely values a lasting legacy of how great he was.

But now people aren't going to remember him exclusively as England's highest run-scorer. So it seems he's shooting himself in the foot.

 

[Furball]

One area where I have a lot of sympathy with KP (and it's not particularly been covered as a result of this fall out) is the issues that sorrounded his retirement from ODI cricket in 2012.

There are aspects of Pietersen's character that seem to be a bit unsavoury. I'm not going to pretend he was an angel, but it speaks volumes for England's man management that their way of resolving the issue was to sack their best batsman.

Where Pietersen has been a let down is with his complete lack of runs in 4 day cricket this year. However, I read an interview today (I can't remember if it was on cricinfo or in the Guardian) where he mentions the fact that he's had a lot of rest this year has done wonders for his knee - and that's something I can certainly sympathise with (and it ties a little into my ODI retirement point earlier - I think KP was particularly hard done by by England's management because he was never, ever rested.)

 

[cnerd123]

If Giles Clarke could be removed from the ECB, it would make this whole farce almost worthwhile. It's pretty much known he's behind the leaks, yet he's hardly scrutinised like all the others in this pathetic nonsense.

On this topic...what's with all these leaks? How is the ECB so bad at handling classified information? Why haven't all the leakers been fired yet?

 

[DriveClub]

On this topic...what's with all these leaks? How is the ECB so bad at handling classified information? Why haven't all the leakers been fired yet?

Because the leaks are deliberate, they don't want to actually give an official response if it backfires so leaking it while denying involvement means they'll have the best of both worlds in their point of view. They can say it wasn't true if it doesn't n't play out well or remain silent if its a PR win. Always knew Giles Clarke looked like a Bond villain.

 

[OverratedSanity]

KP strikes me as someone who fiercely values a lasting legacy of how great he was.

But now people aren't going to remember him exclusively as England's highest run-scorer. So it seems he's shooting himself in the foot.

Trust me, in the long run, people are going to remember KP's genius batting with a lot of fondness. He's a **** but he's hardly the first flamboyant England player who fell out with the board is he? Don't think a lasting legacy is something KP needs to be worried about.

And even though I'm not completely on Pietersen's side, I find it hilarious to see Carberry come out in support of Pietersen. Not entirely surprising once you consider his own problems with the board, but it does show that what KP said about him, if he even did, was pretty tame.

 

[Jono]

Carberry coming out is indeed lol. Just makes the ECB look crap.

Dossier being leaked was such a bad move by the ECB.

 

[harsh.ag]

The thing is though, this could all be true but at the end of the day it isn't actually very interesting - KP, rightly or no, is done, and arguing about how fair that was isn't meaningful in and of itself.

What is meaningful is England's ability to man-manage exceptional talents, the rigidity of the coaching and management structure and the power structures within the dressing room (especially given that several of the major "culprits" still play). That matters, because that's still around.

Eggzactly.

 

[harsh.ag]

The more information that comes out, the more I am convinced that England are not going to have a genius playing for them for a long time to come. Structure is built up for good players who work very hard. That's all we are gonna get. And that's why they never, ever excite anyone. Too bad.

 

[BoyBrumby]

One area where I have a lot of sympathy with KP (and it's not particularly been covered as a result of this fall out) is the issues that sorrounded his retirement from ODI cricket in 2012.

There are aspects of Pietersen's character that seem to be a bit unsavoury. I'm not going to pretend he was an angel, but it speaks volumes for England's man management that their way of resolving the issue was to sack their best batsman.

Where Pietersen has been a let down is with his complete lack of runs in 4 day cricket this year. However, I read an interview today (I can't remember if it was on cricinfo or in the Guardian) where he mentions the fact that he's had a lot of rest this year has done wonders for his knee - and that's something I can certainly sympathise with (and it ties a little into my ODI retirement point earlier - I think KP was particularly hard done by by England's management because he was never, ever rested.)

To quote Mandy Rice-Davis, well he would say that, wouldn't he?

Like all egotistical narcissists (and I know egotistical narcissists) he ultimately wants to be proved right and he seizes on any scrap of evidence that supports his world view so he can say "See? Told you all along..."

All I'll say is the improvement in his knee hasn't been matched by a similar upturn in his form.

 

[YorksLanka]

as others have said, this issue imo seems to be down to the fact that the England management team have no man management skills and couldn't manage KP properly. I am sure many of us here have had to manage people who we didnt gel with but you just do it dont you as you're meant to working for whats in the best interest of the collective. For me, the ECB have shown their inabilities and childish behaviour with all these leaks and its just pathetic..I dont particularly like the swagger shown by KP BUT you cant deny he was a superb player who would have been an automatic pick in ANY national team..

 

[harsh.ag]

A middle order of Amla, Kallis, Pietersen and ABdV for South Africa would have been the stuff of dreams Wish he had gotten a place in his home country..

 

[Adders]

Wish he had gotten a place in his home country..

So do I.