*Official* England in South Africa Thread

[SpaceMonkey]

Clive Lloyd: I have respect for the England captain and I expected the same from him ... If he doesn't respect me he should at least respect the position [of match referee] ... But he made matters worse for himself with his dismissive and rude attitude ... I would have given him a lesser fine if it were not for that, but I stopped short of banning him for the last Test.

I don't see how it's his place to accuse Michael Vaughan of being "rude and dismissive" to the media. I find it amusing that he has done worse than what he fined Vaughan his full match fee for - when can we expect Clive Lloyd to be put before a Match referee's referee and fined his full match fee?

If Vaughan had gone to the media and said Lloyd was rude and dismissive in their metting you can just imagine the punishment that he would have got. Why shouldnt it be the same the other way round?

 

[tooextracool]

Let's be fair tho, SA are pretty poor in ODIs and England *should* win. I expect England will do an Australia and change the bowlers in the team frequently, I couldn't hazard much of a guess at what bowlers they'll pick, but I hope Simon Jones & Hoggard get a few games, England need more players who can genuinely bowl people out anyway but this is even more the case without Flintoff and Harmison (for the first few games).

because this england ODI side is anywhere near as good as australias isnt it?
and what a fantastic bowling attack we have too without harmison and flintoff, the only 2 bowlers whove bowled well consistenyly in the last year.

 

[tooextracool]

http://rsa.cricinfo.com/link_to_dat.../2005/JAN/170295_RSAENG2004-05_28JAN2005.html

Pietersen says abuse is 'water off a duck's back'

Cricinfo staff

January 28, 2005
Kevin Pietersen has said that he fully expects to be verbally abused throughout the one-day series in South Africa, but that the prospect doesn't bother him at all.
Pietersen, who was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1980, but moved to England to further his cricket career, smacked 97 in England's six-wicket win over South Africa A at Kimberley to get his tour off to a flying start.
"I knew I was going to cop a lot of stick but it will be like water off a duck's back," Pietersen told reporters ahead of Sunday's opening one-dayer. "I expected stick at the start of the innings, and I'm sure it will carry on through the whole series. But I just sat back and laughed at the opposition, with their swearing and 'traitor' remarks ... some of them can hardly speak English."
Those comments were hardly aimed at calming local hostility, and he went on to explain that he was becoming more English all the time. "I've been in England for four years and I've copped it for being South African - but my affiliation is definitely with England. In fact, I'm starting to speak too much like Darren Gough."
Although his move to England might not have gone down well in South African cricket circles, Pietersen said that his family supported his decision. "My family are thrilled to bits and back me 100%," he explained. "They back me and they back England. My mum, being English, has always supported England and I view myself as English.
"In fact, on the last day of this tour I'm going to get one of Gough's tattoos with three lions and my number underneath it. That's not a Christmas present - it's with you for the rest of your life, so no-one can take it away from me and say I'm not English."

© Cricinfo


"Some of them could hardly speak English". So what? Does that make them stupid? So Pietersen is a racist, as well as a traitor. I really don't mind too much when a guy leaves SA to play for another country, but when they have this kind of disgusting attitude, and badmouth the country, it gets my goat. We don't want guys like you playing for South Africa. "I've always considered myself English" What rubbish. I think I hate Pietersen more than I hate Clyde Rathbone now. Because I hate him so much he's probably going to score bucketloads of runs against us. If you hear about a crazed spectator that tried to kill Kevin Pietersen on Sunday at the Wanderers, it will probably have been me.

EDIT - Language

how hard is it for this guy to stay away from an interview?
well at least, unlike hick or ramps this guy doesnt look like the player who will be affected by temperament all that much.

 

[Pratters]

I think the Pieterson comments is England practising mental disintegration tactincs Australia style.

We may well see a lot of interesting comments by the English before the Ashes series as we will no doubt by the Aussies.

On mental disintegration, can some one please clarify why Tony Greig, who was the English captain, always seems to take the side of Australia? He does live there now but surely that shouldnt prevent him from taking the country I believe he is still the citizen of.

 

[Langeveldt]

If any of you Saffers are going to the game tomorrow.. Id like you all to "greet" KP with traditional Jo'burg hospitality Im really stoked I am not there in person.. I hope I will be when he next comes to SA, if he hasn't been terminally injured beforehand

 

[wpdavid]

If any of you Saffers are going to the game tomorrow.. Id like you all to "greet" KP with traditional Jo'burg hospitality Im really stoked I am not there in person.. I hope I will be when he next comes to SA, if he hasn't been terminally injured beforehand

Such nice people ...

So let's see if I've got this right. It's perfectly fine for SA players & spectators to call KP everything under the sun. OK, no problem there, I'm all for free speech. However, when KP responds to said comments, that is so unacceptable that it leaves him deserving of GBH. Hmmmmm

FWIW I thought Smith's comments yesterday were pretty risible. Smith, remember, was quite happy to publically comment on Aus sledging a couple of years ago, but saw fit to criticise KP for doing the same about the SA guys the other day. So no double standards there, then...

 

[jot1]

There'll be some banners, look out for them if you catch the game on tv

 

[Neil Pickup]

SA Logic:

It's unacceptable to emigrate to another country and want that side to win (Kevin)
It's perfectly fine to want to lose the game you're playing in for your country for money (Hansie)

 

[BoyBrumby]

Smith's stock with me falls even further; am I being too old-fashioned in expecting higher standards from captains?

At least Boeta Dippenaar, the SA "A" captain, was adult about it. Today's Guardian quotes him as saying,

"You have to go where you see your future, it is his career."

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Here's hoping Pieterson pounds SA into the ground. Unlikely, but still hoping.

 

[jot1]

English logic:
It's perfectly fine for you to slag our players, but not fine for us to slag yours (KP)

 

[Langeveldt]

Such nice people ...

So let's see if I've got this right. It's perfectly fine for SA players & spectators to call KP everything under the sun. OK, no problem there, I'm all for free speech. However, when KP responds to said comments, that is so unacceptable that it leaves him deserving of GBH. Hmmmmm

FWIW I thought Smith's comments yesterday were pretty risible. Smith, remember, was quite happy to publically comment on Aus sledging a couple of years ago, but saw fit to criticise KP for doing the same about the SA guys the other day. So no double standards there, then...

Why do you think he's copping the abuse in the first place?? Because he has turned his back on his country and got on with life in England quietly and with dignity?? Give me a break..

 

[Langeveldt]

It's perfectly fine to want to lose the game you're playing in for your country for money (Hansie)

Yeah, because everyone in SA is so proud of what Hansie did and hopes somebody else starts taking money to fix matches just so we can have someone else to celebrate.. Neil, that was a pretty blinkered and crass peice of dross

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

"Some of them could hardly speak English" - Why should they? What a tit.. You aren't in England any more Kevin...

Why is so much being made of that comment and why is it considered racist? As far as I can tell, he was commenting on them trying unsuccessfully to insult him in English.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

English logic:
It's perfectly fine for you to slag our players, but not fine for us to slag yours (KP)

Huh? How does that reflect poorly on Pieterson?

 

[twctopcat]

Why do you think he's copping the abuse in the first place?? Because he has turned his back on his country and got on with life in England quietly and with dignity?? Give me a break..

He didn't agree with the system and left. Just because he has an opinion on the matter doesn't make him a bad person. I fear your bitterness and patriotism is clouding your judgement.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yeah, because everyone in SA is so proud of what Hansie did and hopes somebody else starts taking money to fix matches just so we can have someone else to celebrate.. Neil, that was a pretty blinkered and crass peice of dross

You say no everyone in SA is proud of what Hansie did, does it work the other way though? What about the KP portion of what Neil said?

Aside from that bit of selective sniping, I'm certain Neil was making a witty observation of sorts.

 

[Neil Pickup]

English logic:
It's perfectly fine for you to slag our players, but not fine for us to slag yours (KP)

Correction - slagging off is fine in both directions

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He didn't agree with the system and left. Just because he has an opinion on the matter doesn't make him a bad person. I fear your bitterness and patriotism is clouding your judgement.

Well-said. Nothing to add, but just backing you on that point.

 

[Neil Pickup]

You say no everyone in SA is proud of what Hansie did, does it work the other way though? What about the KP portion of what Neil said?

Aside from that bit of selective sniping, I'm certain Neil was making a witty observation of sorts.

Correct.

You may not want to believe it, but it's true and it sickens me that a cheat and a fixer is still held in such high esteem