It's Tough Being Me - The Kevin Pietersen Story

[Spikey]

I hate to admit Jono was right, but if they'd never bothered bringing KP back in 2012 I don't think anyone would have beef with that.

Granted, we'd have not won in india tho

it's like when the Brothers of Destruction broke up because it turned out the Undertaker was ****ing Kane's wife but they decided to reform because time wounds all heals except it turns out it doesn't and they broke up forever over a much smaller issue


granted, none of that stuff happened at all, but still, makes you think doesnt it

 

[Stapel]

Is there some sort of formalisation that Pietersen was offered an advisor's role? I don't buy that.......

 

[social]

Is there some sort of formalisation that Pietersen was offered an advisor's role? I don't buy that.......

Apparently true as being confirmed by a number of reporters

Oh wait ....

If it was anyone bar the ECB, I wouldn't believe it

 

[Flem274*]

For all this talk about NZ and Oz being stoked he's not there, they wouldn't touch KP with a ten foot barge pole themselves.

NZ already have a friendlier, affable KP and he's not wanted.

KP goes right against what makes Oz and NZ so good right now.

 

[social]

“Firstly there are not many people who know more about one-day cricket than Kevin Pietersen, he’s got a lot to offer that conversation,” says Strauss. “He’s played in T20 competitions all round the world, he knows a lot about one day cricket, and I want to use as many people, as many different viewpoints as possible to formulate the right strategy.

“Maybe part of that would’ve been the start of rebuilding trust. Maybe that’s the starting point, to get involved in that capacity and see how we go. At the moment he doesn’t feel that he can take up that position. I understand that. I hope over time he can reconsider.”

Don't trust him to bat for us but pretty please show us how to bat

FMD, what a clown

Who advises these people?

 

[Dan]

All this stuff in the Strauss statement does nothing to make me change my position on what I said earlier. I agree with GIMH's criticism that it made a lot of assumptions, but I think that statement has proven that most of them aren't outlandish.

The language of the statement -- KP being on the outer because Strauss doesn't feel he can trust him. It being in England's short-term benefit to not have him in the side. It does absolutely nothing other than turn this straight back into a KP-Strauss conflict that has absolutely nothing to do with anything other than the two men's egos stemming from 2012.

Newsflash guys, it's 2015 and Gary Ballance averages 60 in Test cricket. Joe Root is one of the best young batsmen in the world. Ian Bell has played 100+ Tests and averages 45+. If Strauss actually wanted to do his job, the response is simple -- "We're exceedingly happy with the way Gary Ballance and Joe Root are developing. They're two of the most exciting young batting talents in the world. Ian Bell has performed brilliantly for England over a long period of time and deserves his continued selection. We have nothing against selecting Kevin in principle, however he will have to earn his way back into the side and the competition for places in the England Test team is fierce."

And then if someone gets injured, you pick Vince or some other youngster and claim to be building for the future. And you pray that nobody needs to be replaced for the 5th Ashes Test with the series at 2-all.

But no, instead it's made to be about Strauss, and he's done nothing to back the incumbent middle order at all. Gary Ballance is probably sitting there wondering what more he has to do so that his boss actually believes he's good enough to be there on merit. Pretty **** message to be sending to him that they'd rather have KP, but KP is too much of a dick for anybody to be bothered dealing with.

 

[social]

For all this talk about NZ and Oz being stoked he's not there, they wouldn't touch KP with a ten foot barge pole themselves.

NZ already have a friendlier, affable KP and he's not wanted.

KP goes right against what makes Oz and NZ so good right now.

What?

Warner punched a player and don't get me started on Warne

 

[GIMH]

All this stuff in the Strauss statement does nothing to make me change my position on what I said earlier. I agree with GIMH's criticism that it made a lot of assumptions, but I think that statement has proven that most of them aren't outlandish.

The language of the statement -- KP being on the outer because Strauss doesn't feel he can trust him. It being in England's short-term benefit to not have him in the side. It does absolutely nothing other than turn this straight back into a KP-Strauss conflict that has absolutely nothing to do with anything other than the two men's egos stemming from 2012.

Newsflash guys, it's 2015 and Gary Ballance averages 60 in Test cricket. Joe Root is one of the best young batsmen in the world. Ian Bell has played 100+ Tests and averages 45+. If Strauss actually wanted to do his job, the response is simple -- "We're exceedingly happy with the way Gary Ballance and Joe Root are developing. They're two of the most exciting young batting talents in the world. Ian Bell has performed brilliantly for England over a long period of time and deserves his continued selection. We have nothing against selecting Kevin in principle, however he will have to earn his way back into the side and the competition for places in the England Test team is fierce."

And then if someone gets injured, you pick Vince or some other youngster and claim to be building for the future. And you pray that nobody needs to be replaced for the 5th Ashes Test with the series at 2-all.

But no, instead it's made to be about Strauss, and he's done nothing to back the incumbent middle order at all. Gary Ballance is probably sitting there wondering what more he has to do so that his boss actually believes he's good enough to be there on merit. Pretty **** message to be sending to him that they'd rather have KP, but KP is too much of a dick for anybody to be bothered dealing with.

Well tbh I think you've made another assumption here. Strauss didn't infer he'd prefer KP over any of the others?

 

[Flem274*]

What?

Warner punched a player and don't get me started on Warne

that's not the point.

warner's a moron but he's a team playing moron. it's not all me me me me. he's also not going to mouth off about his own team like a **** or send text messages to south africa having a cry.

 

[harsh.ag]

FMD, what a clown

Who advises these people?

People they hire like this.

 

[harsh.ag]

Newsflash guys, it's 2015 and Gary Ballance averages 60 in Test cricket. Joe Root is one of the best young batsmen in the world. Ian Bell has played 100+ Tests and averages 45+. If Strauss actually wanted to do his job, the response is simple -- "We're exceedingly happy with the way Gary Ballance and Joe Root are developing. They're two of the most exciting young batting talents in the world. Ian Bell has performed brilliantly for England over a long period of time and deserves his continued selection. We have nothing against selecting Kevin in principle, however he will have to earn his way back into the side and the competition for places in the England Test team is fierce."

Agreed with the Strauss-personal-ego bit, but if he actually said what is quoted above, then he would have to select KP in the squad, which he doesn't want to do because of said ego.

 

[Antihippy]

that's not the point.

warner's a moron but he's a team playing moron. it's not all me me me me. he's also not going to mouth off about his own team like a **** or send text messages to south africa having a cry.

Warne would totally bitch about the coach he's playing under though.

He's not very shy about saying it too.

 

[Dan]

For all this talk about NZ and Oz being stoked he's not there, they wouldn't touch KP with a ten foot barge pole themselves.

NZ already have a friendlier, affable KP and he's not wanted.

KP goes right against what makes Oz and NZ so good right now.

Australia had Shane Warne for 15 years. He hated his wicketkeeper's guts. He never trusted his captain after he got dropped once. He had a pathological hatred for the coach that continues to this day. He cheated on his wife, multiple times, while on tour. He received money for information from a bookmaker during the peak era for match-fixing. He copped a drugs ban.

He also took the small matter of 708 Test wickets and was the greatest legspinner of all time.

I'm not going to enter a debate about whether KP or Warne was worse (when you get to that level of dickishness the additional bit of it doesn't make any real difference), but international cricket is a breeding ground for dicks and narcissists. No dressing room is ever truly cohesive, but most cricket boards have a strong enough structure around the team to actually deal with those types of conflict and personalities without turning it into a media circus. Wally Edwards never got into a position where he had to instruct Trevor Hohns and Rod Marsh not to consider Warne for selection because he threw a tantrum two years ago and was still a dick now.

If KP were playing for Australia, I highly doubt it would ever have come to this.

 

[Pratters]

It's a long summer. Let's see what happens. Lose two nil to the kiwis and all hell could break lose with the Ashes next.

 

[Niall]

Graeme SmithVerified account
‏@GraemeSmith49
I see the head boy is making English cricket the laughing stock again! #StraussLogic

Peter Trego @tregs140 · 2h 2 hours ago
Has trust ever won a game of cricket?? I thought it was runs and wickets..... Is there a new World Cup of trust England are hoping to win??

Peter Trego @tregs140 · 1 hr 1 hour ago
And by the way @ECB_cricket @dreth25 scored his 33 first class Hundy this week against NZ... He's also a very trustworthy chap!!

 

[Spikey]

Good to see someone else believes they should be less talk about KP and more about James Hildreth

 

[GIMH]

I find the whole 'has trust ever won a game of cricket' thing completely facile. If the rest of the team didn't trust KP then that doesn't translate well out in the middle does it. How are you supposed to put on a key partnership with someone you can't trust?

Whether or not they shouldn't trust him is a fair discussion. But if they feel they can't (and it should be that the team can't, rather than the ECB for it to be an issue) then it's a fair reason not to play him.

 

[Dan]

Agreed with the Strauss-personal-ego bit, but if he actually said what is quoted above, then he would have to select KP in the squad, which he doesn't want to do because of said ego.

No you don't, you pick 13 players maximum for a match in a home series. Your first XI, a reserve quick in case someone breaks down, and a second spinner in case the deck turns (or, in England's case, a back-up opener).

Then if a batsman gets injured, you pick James Vince or Alex Hales and say it's the perfect time to bring in a promising young batsman who has been stacking up FC runs.

 

[King Pietersen]

I don't think it's a matter of the team not trusting him, it's Strauss.

 

[Cabinet96]