The loneliness of a long-distance cricketer

an argument well made, which i agree with. No matter how much it should be expected of him to be away from home for so long, or that other people have to cope without being with there loved ones as well (soldiers, submariners etc) it still doesnt mean he is not allowed to miss his loved ones, and shouldnt be held against him.

it has nothing to do with "how privileged he is to be an international cricketer" or how much money he earns.

the same as when it is said of footballers, that they shouldnt be tired when they are earning so much money - when they are rested. i dont think money comes into it when you are feeling tired and not on top of your game, and the same here.

i think his main problem is he says what he thinks without properly thinking it through first.

Good post, nicely balanced. I have to generally agree.

A good article. I feel that KP has been hard-done-by this winter. Althought he doesn't always help himself, the ECB treatment of him was totally overboard - they essentially sacked him whilst agreeing with him at the same time.

Read more at GoodCricketWicket.co.uk

"Are we prepared to hear his views and respect his right to hold them, even if we disagree?"

Why ever not? That is no more you, the author of this article, expect for yourself. Who do think should censor him?? When I grew up freedom of speech was thought of as a right fundamental to democratic societies - so I am afraid I find it quite shocking that anyone should even ask if we are *prepared* to "hear and respect" KPs views, which, let's face it, are only about cricket. You always have the choice of ignoring his views if they bother you that much!

Brilliant piece.

I think it's important to remember the part that psychology plays in cricket. Part of KP's brilliance is down to the ego, the drive, that emotional intensity. Those things can be amazingly destructive; they can be alienating to other team members, or coaching staff, provoke press reaction, or antagonise the general cricket loving public as well as the enormous pressure they put the individual themselves. But the upside, his inspired contributions with the bat, the ability to relish situations others dwindle in, the ambition and belief pushing him to greater heights, is actually what England have missed. Not the PR- trained apologists or meek capitulators, we have plenty of them already.

I think eventually he'll turn out to amongst the best batsmen ever, certainly to play for England. I also hope people come to appreciate his particular style, and that more players are dragged with him in and his self belief and sense of ambition, rather than roughed up the wrong way. Remember his international career is a relatively early stage to the greats of the past and compares very favourably with them at the same stage.

For soem reson British are harsh on SA players - even Hick faced harsh envt. why? whay cna't KP get the same treatment Bell, Cook others get

without KP, England's batting will look a joke

wow, do you guys live on another planet?
KP is not performing. whatever the reason, he is not performing.

Anywhere else in the world, if a player is not performing, he is dropped from the team. A prime example being Herschelle Gibbs.
How is that the ECB continues to pick players who are not performing and yet still wonder why your sides are losing?

ECB and england need to catch a serious wake up.

THE SELFISHNESS OF A LONG DISTANCE CRICKETER

Pieterson: Egomaniac, not Genius

A sycophantic blog worthy of his own PR machine! Pieterson accepted you, you say...i imagine that must have meant a great deal to you! A useful slogger, however, doesn't have the class, technique or will to bat at 3. He'd rather face the older ball and change bowlers. His divisiveness and calculated press releases outweigh his contribution on the field.

For an intelligent, well written, insightful and yes objective article...check out The Times

Excellent article. A few other BBC blog writers would do well to read this and see what a decent blog entry can offer rather than the usual 'My source said..' stuff.

I am an admirer of KP as a cricketer although frustrated at his continued unwillingness to bat at 3 for England. A KP firing on all cylinders is good for the national team without a doubt.

However, the recent tetchiness is going beyond the pale. I don't deny that being away from his family for 11 weeks is a strain. But, that being the case, why is KP heading off to the IPL for a further 3 weeks? Would money have anything to do with it? And would he be so valuable in the IPL without his England record?

His loss from national duty would be a matter of sadness. But if he doesn't want to throw his all into being an England player there are many who would be willing to take his place. And if that gave them a big money contract elsewhere, good luck to them.

I'm not sure what point is being made here. Can we understand why Pietersen feels the way he does and has expressed the views he has? Of course, but nobody has suggested otherwise. The question is whether he was right (as opposed to whether he "has the right") to express them given the impact this may have, in particular, on the rest of the squad. But this article says nothing on this.

The article also suggests that Pietersen was misunderstood, but I don't think this is true. Whether or not one thinks the criticism levelled at Pietersen has been fair, I don't think one can say that his words have been misconstrued.

Pietersen is a very good, possibly great, cricketer. He is also crass and not particularly sensible. I'm delighted he plays for England, but I don't think we shouldn't be able to criticise him if and when he acts and speaks stupidly.

Nice article Kevin. A lot has been and will continue to be written about Kevin Pietersen. By journalists, ex-players (some posing as journalists), bloggers and fans. Some of that writing is good, some of that writing is mediocre and some of that writing is bad. And it isn't the bloggers who hold the monopoly on the bad writing.

Let's stick to facts, which is what Kevin has done here. Kevin Pietersen is a very driven person. So driven that many people will find him scary, many will dislike him and many will misunderstand him. The ECB certainly has elements that dislike and misunderstand him.

Because he is who he is, Kevin Pietersen is an easy target for the slack minded who are seeking someone to slag off. Those who claim he is not performing should look at his statistics:

50 tests, 91 innings, 4445 runs at an average of 51.09

91 ODIs, 81 innings, 3079 runs at an average of 46.65

If that's not performing then the whole England team is not performing, not just one player!

He will divide people. Driven, straight talking people who don't suffer fools do. In all walks of life. I've seen plenty; some I liked, some I disliked. Just deal with it and get on with life.

KP does perform with the bat. And with this height, power and good eye will always be a threat to bowling attacks...like many of the other clean hitters doing the rounds in this 20/20 era of roped in grounds, compressed bats and flat pitches.

However, he doesn't have the class, courage or team loyalty to bat at 3 (where there is an obvious need in the team, and has been for some time). What's more, his divisiveness and "me first" attitude undermine team morale and leadership...we should all be talking about the great batting of Strauss since he took the poisoned challice of captaincy...instead KP's PR machine are keeping him on the front pages every day. And weak willed, slack minded sycophants (like Kevin here) swallow it all whole!

BTW...Since when does a serious journalist feel it necesary to be "accepted" by a subject...dear oh dear, he walked out on you because you asked a tough question...and you caved and followed him out...and you're stilling following him

Well done to the ECB for strapping on a pair and sacking Pieterson when they did. It went some way to making up for the mistake they made in promoting him in the first place

PS:
driven = self absorbed
straight talking = crass
doesn't suffer fools = arrogant

Post 12: charliewebb

Excellent points. I agree.

Playing one down is not easy - I cna see why KP resists the move - you need string defense for that slot - like Dravid does - two down is more a freedom zone - Sachin zone for example - Dravid often has to step in, after an early wicket and consolidation and defense are called for - KP is a flamboyant type - He likes the lower down the order

so, what is the fuss m- KP plays somewhat like Laxman, lower down the order is better - sachin is peerless

Agreed...Pieterson's slogging style is suited to weaker bowling and older ball...better for clean hitting. Leave the top order for a class bat with true technique like a Vaughan

goldyouknowitstrue is correct. What is most fascinating about this article is Mr.Howells's comments:

"After abruptly ending the interview I followed him down the steps from the changing room and explained my motivation for the questions. He accepted them and in turn myself."

Good grief! What exactly was your motivation? I mean for following him? He acts like a petulant schoolboy and you have to run after him? Still, it's good he "accepted" you!

My goodness!

KP alone is not the reason why england failed - their bowling was a let down - there are no consistently good bowlers in England team now - Many come and go - swann is slightly more predictable

aussies , and India have a balanced attack in bowling - batting is another area england is weak - KP and Colly pretty much

Pietersen would be wasted at #3. He is best when allowed to play more freely at #4 or #5 so why try and pigeon hole him into a role that does not suit his game? In my eyes at #3 he isn't a lot better than other players we can put there, but at #4 he is a lot better than the next best option.

I still have never understood why Collinwood can not play at #3, he has a good defensive game, is comfortable with pace, bounce and spin and has the patience to eek out a decent score as well as the discipli e needed to potetnially come in for one down at less than 20 runs.

A well reasoned and balanced argument for your point of view, unlike a certain Mr Cram or Mr Bose.

However I do disagree with the whole Pietersen is just an innocent victim in his whole predicament. He took the England captaincy and then chose to publicly criticize the coach, believing because "he was Kevin Pietersen", and the coach was not a recognized name, he would win hands down, but unfortunately his plan backfired, and that has snowballed into the situation he is currently in.

We all know Pietersen is a class player and England need him, but that doesn't mean he isn't also an arrogant human being who believes that he is a true winner and everyone else is a loser, "I have only ever lost one game of sports throughout school - and that was in Rugby. I’m a winner. That’s what everyone should know and I presumed everyone would know."

So whilst I like Pietersen as an England cricketer because he is so good, I don't particularly like him as a human being because he so arrogant.

Kevin Pietersen is NOT a genius. Not even Tendulkar / Lara were in the genius category. We'll see how well he does in about three years when his eyes / reflexes slowly desert him and he's left with nothing but a flawed technique.

Pietersen is an instinctive, aggressive individualist in a sport that's definitely not known for that sort of competitor.

His psychological vulnerability is plain to see and fascinating to investigate. And he's not a leader in the captaincy sense - he should be left to do what he does best, namely scoring big runs in the middle order and inspiring the rest of the team by example.

The problem with Mr Howells' commentary is that he seems to have forgotten that cricket is a team game, not just about one individual however good that person might be. I disagree with you Jobyjak in that England does not 'need' Pietersen at all. They did extremely well without him from 2002 up to the Ashes 2005. However I totally agree with you about his freedom of choice: in this he reminds me very much of another flawed talent (I think genius is going a little too far), Shane Warne - never his fault, guv'nor, he's constantly being misunderstood by others. i wonder whether Pietersen ever takes advice from his agent about the way he speaks to the media?

The ECB must appoint a strong head coach to help Strauss pull the team into shape, and control immature players such as KP with strong leadership. I also see constant requirement for comments from the team as a major disruption to concentration and all interviews should be agreed through a press officer.

Re post #8 - Pietersen IS performing - he scored a fantastic quick fire century in the last Test he played in to set up a potential England victory. OK, the victory didn't come, but his runs gave England the chance to declare, and was exactly the sort of innings needed at that time. His genius with the bat is not in question. He has matured to the point where he can play exactly as the situation demands it, be it patient or aggressive - and he can still pull off the truly awe inspiring switch hit six.

Give him a bit of slack re his comments, and let's try and help him rather than condemn. Let's not forget that the last England player to complain of mental fatigue was Marcus Trescothick...

KP's a winner and I want more people with his attitude in the current England side. He's the nearest thing we have to the Aussie mentality - a hard winning focussed attitude.

Losing for him really hurts and you can see this. I'm not saying that losing doesn't hurt the rest of the team but it hurts him more because he is hungrier for success and for me that's what it boils down to.

KP is hungrier for success than the rest of the team. He is not one of us and that's why he isn't a loser.

A well reasoned article and is rightly sympathetic to KP's state of mind on the current tour. I'm a bit surprised that no one has raised the issue of the IPL in the wider context of this situation. It's all very well KP complaining about being home sick but he is clearly quite happy to take off for a further period away from home straight after this tour to take part in the IPL? Maybe money is the best cure for home sickness?

Sorry mate... Kevin Pieterson may be playing for us and I for one am very happy to have him but he IS a South African born and bred.....
Also to comment on Shiv Chanderpaul one of the best and most respected individuals in the game is really rather stupid...so he is making a rod for his own back.
Maybe he should stop talking and get on with his game

Charliewebb (post #12) I couldn't agree more. People seem to really enjoy this blog but I don't think it makes particularly incisive or clear points. Those it does make are a little obvious and besides the point, as far as I can see.

Of course he should be allowed his views, no question about it. Whether, as Charliewebb says, it was sensible to make his views public given the impact they were bound to have is another issue entirely.

Firstly let me say I am a proud England fan, born in Malawi " at that time of British rule " to Indian parents so when it comes to cricket i support my nation unless of course we are playing India then there is a conflict. I will be honest my option on KP has changed by his comments on his team-mate Patel been sent home for been overweight.It gets my goat that we have to have a person like KP a guy who wasn't talented enough to play for the country of his birth using the old grandfather rule to play for England. England are a better team without him then with him.

KP just made a millon from the IPL,if he misses his wife he could always spend a few hundred pound to fly her over.

A good, informative blog Kevin, but I disagree with your conclusions.
Firstly, KP is no genius. To totally misquote Frank Zappa - "they're pretty good musicians, and that's all they are, but nobody cares if they're good musicians so what the heck anyway. The drummer's out of sync with the click track but Ed Mann will show him the sign after the session". For "musicians" read "cricketers".
Secondly, I see no reason why KP should be careful what he says and when he says it. The worst thing in any team, sporting or otherwise, is to have one guy walking round with a chip on his shoulder. Did you know it's sometimes easier to tell a journalist (i.e. a stranger) what you're really thinking than to tell your best mate?
Thirdly, who really cares if he's from South Africa, England or Mars for that matter? Every human being has that same feeling every day, whether they are visiting the village down the road or moving home to another continent, WILL I BE ACCEPTED AND RESPECTED? The answer, of course, is no. We are all outsiders, even when we ask our neighbour for a cup of sugar.
Fourthly, why do journalists have to ask leading questions? Like "what if somebody drops a catch which loses £20m?". I am sure if you asked "what's it like getting offered 20 million just to do your job?" you would get a more reportable and honest reply.
In conclusion, "If Pietersen fails, often so will England. That why it's important he gets it right off and on the field". No,I don't care what he says in public or in private. As long as he continues to do a good job (which he does) he would still be in my team. "But we should also appreciate the insight he has given into a world where losing too often in professional sport takes a big toll on your state of mind". That's a load of bull. Who, in whatever walk of life, doesn't get a bit crazy when things don't go their way?

"It's all very well KP complaining about being home sick but he is clearly quite happy to take off for a further period away from home straight after this tour to take part in the IPL? Maybe money is the best cure for home sickness?"

I can't think of any person in their mid-20's turning down that sort of money - the concept and large numbers involved tend to discourage thinking of consequences.

The decision to play in IPL was made before the Winter Tour to Hell and back fresh on an appointment as captain, when all was well. Everyone has bad days and good days.

No one posting comments here has met KP, let alone claim to "know" him at any level, so are not placed to comment on his personal issues. As a cricketer he's brilliant, if inconsistent

As next winter's main tour is a lengthy one in the country of Pietersen's upbringing and where his family reside, it'll be intertesting to see how he reacts to what will be nearly three months of constant pressure in South Africa.

Kevin Pietersen has an apparent temperament deficit, mainly I think because his ego dominates his common sense.

Two examples. (1) IPL. Ahead of the auction last year, England were on tour in New Zealand, and KP was leading the three lions and total ECB loyalty rhetoric. After the IPL franchises had splashed out millions, suddenly KP was, "you know, the ECB is going to have to reach an accomodation with centrally contracted people who want to play in the IPL."

It was a totally predictable about-face, and I don't for a minute blame KP and co for wanting a piece of the IPL, but he was particularly short-sighted not to recognise that the IPL could be huge and would put people like him in direct conflict with the ECB.

(2) His ongoing antagonistic relationship with his homeland. I am a Saffer, and we all know full well that there has been a dose of affirmative action in sporting development. And you know, we all have sympathy with KP in that his career in SA could have been stymied by this. He is not the only person to have been impacted, though obviously his case is high profile given what an excellent player he has become.

But KP seems to take this whole thing personally, and harbours a lingering resentment against the SACB about what happened to him. And that angers a lot of Saffers, from Graeme Smith to your average spectator at Newlands. Because there's a bigger damn picture than the career of KP, the whole affirmative development programme of SA cricket is justified on whole lot of levels, and KP's ego gets in the way of his recognising this.

Saffers recognise, with some envy, that we lost a great talent to England. And we also recognise that KP faced unsually difficult decisions in plotting his career, arguably this makes him even more determined to succeed. But hell, if you are going to mope around as if SA has some ongoing personal vendetta against you, KP, then you need to get over yourself.

Grow up, gather some perspective, and let your batting talk. All the other junk about the tragic plight of KP is getting a bit tiresome.

Great article, thanks.

KP thrives on ego - simple as. But who really cares..? If you want the results, simply stroke his ego, let him get a big head and say thanks for all the match changing/winning hundreds when they will undoubtedly come.

It is very easy for people to keep their personal opinions of him to themselves. He is always going to rub people up the wrong way (mostly unintentionally), but thats just tough - get over it. Dont try and change the man - if you want what's best for England, just learn to use him as the destructive batting weapon he is.

The army doesnt spend its time making its guns look pretty, their time is used keeping their guns in optimum condition for the best results when used.

England have been and will continue to be poor, and no matter who the player or how well or badly they do will still get hounded by the media. This is not only a problem with cricket, but all british sport. KP is just one in a line of sportsman to get this treatment, and certainly wont be the last.

When England get a half scary bowling attack that can bowl on tracks other than green English ones then individuals can be picked on but until then the team should be looked at, as I cant see how 'KPs negative effect' on the team influences Englands inabilty to bowl even fragile teams out. As a team, apart from the occasional flop they have been putting runs on the board,

As for the media, what is the point in winging about KPs media antics when they play into his or his PR teams hands, why not talk about the good news, or maybe it boils down to money for the papers and journelist
, which is what KP is himself accused.

Pieterson is a mercenary. England have his services at the moment and should use him to the full (just as he's using us). Getting three pound signs tattood to your arm doesn't equal loyalty...just expedience. Pieterson will follow the money, and step on and over anyone in the process...and good luck to him, he's a ruthless professional with no alliegance other than to himself...there are many other professtionals (bankers for example) who take exactly the same approach!

Pieterson is not more hungry for success than any other England player...they are all professionals. The difference is his hunger for personal glory and wealth, while others focus on team and team mates in equal measure.

KP left SA becuase a better player (pieterson was playing as a spinner then...not a bat) was selected above him. They happened to be coloured. Pieterson threw his toys and played the race card...he then came to the UK where it was confirmed he wasn't good enough to make it as a spinner...again he fell out with his team in the process. But he did reinvent himself as a hitter...and he's done well, in an era which suits such a style. He's no victim...except perhaps of his own ego and self delusion. He would never make it in the Australian team for that reason. So much of their success is built on comradarie, mateship, and the honour of playing for their flag

I enjoy watching Pieterson slog away, it's fun. It's not class, and will never compare with someone like Vaughan, who in his prime, in a losing Ashes team in Australia was voted player of the series...and won the total respect and admiration of his Australian adversaries. Not because he could slog any length ball to cow, or because of his petulant attention seeking press releases, but because his batting was imperious and pure class, against the undisputed best team in the world at the time, on their home soil!

Ah Kevin, check your dictionary. 'Fulsome' doesn't mean 'full' - it means

"unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech"
or "offensively flattering or insincere."

Neither of which you could accuse KP of.

Do you think Kevin owns a dictionary? Time to find another "career" Kev...may i suggest PR, I hear Pieterson's hiring!

Pieterson is a twit, complaining about being tired but there he is in two weeks heading off to play more cricket. if he really wants a rest have a rest between the end of this series and the ashes that what should count no some quick buck. He always talks about how he loves england etc etc but then wants to job off at the first sign of a rock and pledge himself to the next cause, incidentally paying more.

In summary a South African mercenary, allegance goes to the highest bidder and in this case its not england

English or South Africam, Kevin Peietersen, it is often forgotten, is a product of the county system. On arrival with Nottinghamshire there was no pre-ordained path to the peak of the world's cricketing stage. Like every other member of the England team Pietersen represents the nurturing and diligence that has been evident in the system that produced the players of the 1990s such as Atherton and Stewart. The English system brought Pietersen's talent to fruition, likewise the English media created his persona. Physical origins relate little to his game today.

Moreover it is a harsh reality that the Pietersen is not yet a genius; he is more a a grapfruit amongst the apples. Not quite so polished, bolder, more vibrant and slightly bitter. As Englands first, and up to now, only 21st century cricketer the media have exaggerted his talent, history and character. Away from his politics Pietersen will not be compared to the Lara/Tendulkar/Kallis/Ponting era he will signify the passing of it.

The British media have 'venerated' Pietersen, their demaning and fluctuant polarization of Kevin as the England temas worst best friend. Colleagues, coaches and the public were drawn in before his first ever test match. For the rest of Pietersen's career it will be swings and roundabouts, he will speak his mind, he will take every opportunity he gets, but regardless of those ups and downs he will one day sit at the top of the pile of English batsmen. At this point he can smirk, in the knowledge that long after his time, his actions on the pitch will speak loader than his words off it. Let us for once take perspective on today's situations.

A sad but probably inevitable passing...from the age of class to the new era of slogfest. As shallow, commercial interests come to dominate the game...so do shallow, commercially interested players. Pieterson will be forever known as a someone who batted great...but never as a great batsman!

i havent read the coments above,no one perfect,kp has a south affician upbringing, i say lets get behind him and back him 100 percent.TREVOR WALTER HANTS

WHO BACKS KP , LETS SEE YOUR SUPPORT FOR HIM.................................................................

BRING ON THE ASHES THATS WHAT CRICKET IS ABOUT......................

T WALTER HANTS

I'd rather back England mate!

GOLDYOUKNOWITTRUE, JUST READ YOUR COMENT,CAN SEE YOUR A KP FAN..........
I PERSONALLY DONT KNOW KP,SO I WOULDNT SLATE HIM, GET BEHIND HIM AND THE ENGLAND TEAM, WHEN DO YOU SEE CHANDERPOOL FIELD IF HES BATTED LONG, ALWAYS GETS OR FINDS AN INJURY, ID SAY HES A TEAM PLAYER BUT DOES HE FIELD, NO ON COMES BRAVO............

To say Pietersen is a slogger shows total delusion. You don't get a consistently over 50 batting average over 3.5 years without being truly one of the best.

He has shown on a number of occasions that he has plenty of patience - watch his 226 vs West Indies when they toured. He only "slogged" as you call it at the very end of the innings when he was told they were about to declare.

Agreed he is a very difficult person to deal with and contradictory at times but so what?

And as far as Vaughan is concerned - purleasse . Don't even pretend he has the same level of ability - it's laughable.

Pieterson = Dumbslog! Vaughan imperious at his best

vaughan was class bat 7 years ago, couldnt catch then cant catch now hidden at short mid wkt. id go for r key at 3,or poss i bell good player.
vaughan has a chance at 3,dont see him getting early runs in championship at headinley for yorkshire,never does now.
shah good one day player,wanted to see him get chance,but doesnt look comfortable there,as thorpe said more a number 5. bell good short leg/ fielder, not sure on key in field but id like him for world 20/20 cup as captain........................

kp is 28 now,i think your see a more mature person now.
vaughan great 7 years ago,couldnt catch then or now
3 for ashes bell / rob key. key for 20/20 world cup and as captain....
id back kp......

"Genius, not politician"
I would refute the use of the word genius. Yes, pretty damn good player who I want on my team, but not in the league of the likes of Tendulkar, because I think his temperament has let him down a few too many times.
I don't care if he isn't a politician, but if he has opinions that he wants to express and be paid for by newspapers, I expect them to be backed up with reason, not riddled with inconsistencies.
It is true that Strauss has a pretty relaxed way of dealing with KP. A few more people need to start taking him with a pinch of salt, not giving him the hype he gets. In 5 years time there will be some other batsman who is a "genius" on the scene.

When it comes to polarising opinion, there are few sportsmen in Kevin Pietersen’s league. We all know him to be a wonderful batsman, quite possibly the best we have seen playing for the England team this last quarter-century. We also know that he is rather outspoken, a quality that plays less well here than it did in his native South Africa. But the thing that divides us is his renowned tendency to selfishness.
His admirers contend that this is, if not quite admirable, certainly indispensable to the Pietersen phenomenon; that his view of the universe as Pietersen-centric is part of the reason why he is able to bat with the swagger and confidence that strikes such fear into the heart of opposition captains. Take away the selfishness, they say, and you take away the genius.
The rest of us query this psychological justification for Pietersen’s unbridled egoism. We offer the observation that greater sportsmen than he have been able to excel without also feeling the need to elevate their own interests so far above those of the team. We also point out that learning, on occasion, to yield oneself to a larger ideal is not just what it means to be part of a team, but is also what it means to grow up.
The reason Pietersen is once more the hot topic in cricket is because he has given a wide-ranging interview that has shown, yet again, why it was so culpably myopic of the England and Wales Cricket Board to put such a man in charge of our national team.
In it, Pietersen provides a profound and, in many ways, revelatory insight into the inner workings of a person who is so self-absorbed and narcissistic that he is oblivious to the damage his words and actions wreak.
With three matches still to play on the tour to the West Indies, in the England shirt that Pietersen claimed to love so dearly, he told his interviewer that “it’s been a heck of a tough time and I’m at the end of my tether now. Really and truly I can’t wait to get home.” It was subsequently revealed — after England were bowled out for 117 in the third one-day international — that he had made a request to leave his team-mates in the Caribbean between the third and fourth Tests to fly home to spend 48 hours with his wife.
Quite why he felt entitled to this special treatment is unclear, but it leaves one wondering why, if he is so prone to homesickness, he has decided to fly off to South Africa days after the end of the tour to play in the Indian Premier League. This is a man, remember, who as recently as last year was publicly arguing for the need for cricketers to take breaks and warning of the dangers of burnout. He is unlikely, now, to get a decent rest before the Ashes showdown with Australia that begins in July.
In the interview, Pietersen also managed to breach the golden rule of team sport by openly criticising a team-mate — Samit Patel, for his lack of fitness — although he did back Andy Flower, the acting head coach, who may yet be handed the post full time. It is worth pointing out, though, that this is the same man who, on his elevation to the captaincy, backed the previous head coach, Peter Moores, before deciding, within weeks, that he had to go. Back then, he wanted Flower sacked, too.
If that were not enough, Pietersen also indulged in a petty and stinging criticism of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the respected West Indies batsman. “Every time he gets runs he never fields. There’s always an injury or something,” he said. “That has really got on my nerves here. It leads me to think he plays for himself.” For the record, Pietersen did not intend any irony.
Pietersen’s supporters point out that he is merely being outspoken, which is a fair point. But the interesting thing is not that Pietersen has chosen to say these things in public, but that he really thinks them in private. This, I suggest, is what happens when a person is so self-obsessed that he is blind to his own contradictions, oblivious to the sensibilities of others and ignorant of his own failings, even as he points the finger at everyone else.
Yesterday, Pietersen sought to play down the comments made in the interview, reiterating his commitment to the team and saying that, in future, he will try to be less “outspoken” and “honest”. But this merely confirmed the suspicions of his critics, who have come to the view that Pietersen’s comments are rarely calibrated by candour, honesty or the interests of his team.
Instead, a rather more narrow calculation is applied: what will play best for Kevin Pietersen.
Matthew Syed, The Times

Kevin, read the article above...then pack up your possessions and leave the building! Don't bother coming in tomorrow...your superficial, slack minded, sycophantic and quite possibly self interested "articles" will not be missed

You call yourself a journalist and yet you can hardly string a coherent sentence together. Radio 5 Bloke did you say? Oh now it makes sense - still, well done on that C at GCSE English.

Matthew Syed, as a qualified journo, why do you feel the need to express your quite strong and one-sided views on a BBC Blog?

In my opinion, he is a cricket player. He is good at his job, he is in good form, what is everyone arguing about? Who cares what he said, it doesn't change a thing. He will realise that if he wants to play cricket at the highest level he will have to wind his neck in once in a while. Who are we to say what sort of a person he is? I don't care what sort of a person he is or what he says to the media as long he does what he is paid for.

Oh dear, its a copy and paste. Oh the shame, the humiliation. Comments still stand though

The sensible, balanced nature of your article is only emphasised by the tiresome cliches about mercenary egos that people feel obliged to post unthinkingly in response. I have lost count of the times Kevin Pietersen has turned down the chance to play for England in order to make money elsewhere or has said he is willing to do so. Mainly because 0 is a difficult number to count.

As for the notion that not batitng at 3 is a sign of cowardice...Viv Richards of course started at 3 and then moved to 4. Go on, walk up to him and call him a coward sometime!

come on england, australia are ccoming . winning those ashes is all that matters to england, get behind england and that means k p........... trevor walter hants..

The fickleness of English supporters beggers belief.

When Pietersen is performing he is English, when he fails ie. doesn't win games for England, he is South African.

To be a great sportsman, one will have to learn to spend time away from their family. I think that this is what everyone else does and KP cannot be a special one if he cannot do this. Will his comments be different if the team were not on the losing side? One can only speculate on this.
End of the day the great cricketers have not complained and just got on with the tours. It is a matter of pride to play for one's country and most importantly to play as a team. KP either needs to understand that he is not indispensible or he will soon be dropped. I am sure that the English team can cope without him. It is better to have a mediocre man with high team morale than to have a good player with no morale or intention of being supportive to the team.
End of the day, if he is not able to bear the stresses of touring he should quit playing, or take a big teddy bear to hug. It would be fun for the opposition if they had a teddy as a mascot and they may possibly present him with one.
Grow up KP or go home and stop winging- maybe buy a big teddy.

Well said!

For the ultra dim witted...i'm not Matthew Syed...just thought Kev might appreciate a well written article (no doubt the first to appear under his column name)

"just thought Kev might appreciate a well written article"

You shouldn't call Mr.Howells "Kev" goldyouknowitstrue.

That's the sort of familiarity he and Pietersen reserve for each other...

Excellent piece. He's had an awful winter both on the field and off it, players such as him need to be managed better. He should have been allowed home for a few days, missed a test match and then have him back for the one day series. Bopara should have played the last test and taken his place. He's been fantastic for English cricket, he is entertaining to watch and great for the media so needs to be managed on an individual basis. We just need a strong coach, Arthur would be perfect.

You're very right PB...i'm yet to be "accepted"

Perhaps we could convince Kev H to be KP's personal assistant on the next tour...that might keep KP happy! Run behind him cleaning up like his servants back in SA, clean his shoes, hand wash his whites, spit and polish his box, warm his bed, write his PR articles (ooops already doing that!)...dare to dream Kev

I would like to get the message to Mr. Pieterson that as far as this England fan is concerned he is most welcome as an England player. He's an excellent cricketer and if he continues as he has done so far will find himself retiring as one of the all time greats.

But I can't believe that we are still hearing from top professionals that they dislike touring. It is not like the concept is a new one and any player entering cricket with the ambition to become one of the best must understand that touring is part of their chosen career.

As a man who took one of the bigger sacrifices a person can do by switching nationalities and relocating to England purely for the ruthless ambition of playing cricket at the highest levels, KP is one of the last people I'd expect to hear complaints of home sickness from.

You've hit the nail on the head workdodger...KP's complaining about how tough it is to tour when you're losing...he could have flown his wife out and certainly doesn't need to be flying out to SA for the IPL after one week off. His real issue is not touring...he simply wants to highlight that the team is losing under his replacement Strauss, and as such undermine him. KP...the first 21st century sporting politician!

How's that box coming Kev H??? We want such a shine KP can see his face in it...

That's harsh Goldy!

Although I'd like to see players switched from juicy central contacts over to a more win based payment system. Then we'll see less players making a good living from playing cricket and more players making a good living from winning at cricket.

goldyouknowitstrue, it almost makes me want to listen to FiveLive this afternoon to hear "Kev" big-up errr "Kev".

I wonder what he will say if "Kev" turns in a poor performance?

If he does well "England can't survive without him" ... if he fails he'll find a suitable excuse...the rest of the players will just get on with playing for the team

Kevin, good article. I know that people can't wait to stick the boot in, and I think it's over the top. All too easily it seems to fall back to a debate about his commitment, which is to staggeringly miss the point. Andrew Miller makes this point very eloquently here on Cricinfo:
https://content.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/397896.html
There's also a sensible and more light-hearted verdict on all this here:
https://www.sportwithoutspin.com/2009/03/31/emotivev-anti-kp-rhetoric-thats-whats-nuts/
Anyway, enjoyed your first blog, and look forward to reading more.

yes very good article, KP needs now every cricket lovers support,it is good for the England cricket

Kev, how are those whites coming along???

Am I the only England supporter who quite likes it when we lose? Being English through and through might be something to do with it. I love the inquests, the soul-searching, the anguished post-match interviews and the excuses. It has its funny side. Winning, on the other hand, has none of this - just the false modesty of the players and the raucous chanting of drunken fans. There is something very entertaining about yet another historic defeat.

You must be having a ball then!

I don't see what the fuss is over KP. Most of the posts on this article are supportive of our best player, as they should be but there's still the same old envious rubbish from some others.

KP is a human being, like the rest of us. He gets mentally worn down at times, he misses his family when he's away for a couple of months. He also is, by far, the most important player in the England side. Let's get behind him.

"Are we prepared to hear his views and respect his right to hold them, even if we disagree?"

Yes. This man is always going to feel on the outside - it is in his nature and this probably more than where he was born and brought up, that will prevent him from becoming a "national treasure". Given that I think that he should be free to say whatever he feels. It is certainly more interesting than the carefully prepared and media trained responses that we get from most prominent sports personalities.

Flintoff...fantastic player, ultimate team man and the only Enlgand player that would make it into the Worlds best team Australia

"You must be having a ball then!"

A great result for England. Good to see Flintoff bowling beautifully again. But....

If anyone doubted Pietersen is bad for team spirit, you only had to look at the near run out incident with Bopara in the last ODI.
The right thing for KP to have done (and as an ex captain and hence supposedly man manager...) would have been to make light of it, but his appraoch was to simply put down his junior partner by saying "my call...my call...my call".

I expect it must be difficult for a world class player to be surrounded by such mediocrity. In my opinion, Kevin Pietersen is one of, not only the best, but the most complete batsman in the world. When I first learned about cricket, the understanding was that a batsman had to score runs. Ian Bell is one of the most technically excellent batsmen, his shots are exceptional, but he doesn't score enough runs. I've never seen a scorecard that mentions how nicely he was batting until he got out. KP scores runs, yes he gets out irresponsiby, but I'd rather him get out for 97 being ambitious than Bell or Cook or Shah getting out for 20 odd for an edge, even if they've been playing oh so nicely.
If KP scores more runs at 4 than he does at 3, then that's the important thing. Again, the ego, the drive, that makes him want to win, is good for england.

How can a poster be taken seriously when he or she can't even spell the subject's name? It's PIETERSEN with three E's - got it now?

One has to accept KP as a Genius, who struggles with his own Narcissism. It's not curable, so lets not critise it, but embrace KP for the talent flip side he offers. He many of the right things, works and train hard, works for the team, checking his destructive side.

Like Boycott, Dexter, only KP can change KP; so we should all get behind him, his fantastic talent, his crease entertainment, for more centuries, double centuries and even triple centuries. He makes England a much better team.

Pietersen does seem to attract more bad feeling about his nationality than the rest of our non-England born Englishmen. Maybe it's because he's such a flamboyant character, which is fairly un-English.

Of course he's also World Class which is fairly un-English too!

I guess he's always going to attract detractors though as he loves talking about himself, and his ability means that people will always want to listen.

Who cares though. It's entertaining. I'd much rather have a character than another bland media savvy sportsman droning on about "taking positives" from defeats and being ultra careful to always project the right image for his employers.

But as for posters questioning his ability, that is laughable. The figures don't lie.

KP cant be compared with anyother player.. wait for some good days to come ahead.. good luck KP

Great striker of the ball, poor technique but who cares...hide him at 4 and let him slog the older ball and second change bowlers

You're setting the bar pretty low if you're calling KP a Genius on his performance to date. What about those who've been playing longer and have a better record...are they just a "super genius" (don't expect Kev H to have thought this through). Today's players stats can't reliably be compared with previous players (even as recent as 5-10 yrs ago)...the technology available now is amazing with players analyzing their swings/techniques in super slomow etc, not to mention compressed light weight bats with massive middles that make it much easier to play cross bat shots to express pace and allow batsmen to clear the (often roped in) boundaries even with miss hits. You no longer require first class technique to score heavily in test match cricket...a good eye and aggresive mindset work wonders...have a look at Gale's recent efforts against England. This will only accelerate as more and more money flows into 20:20. KP is just one of many of this new generation of "hitter" ... great for entertainment, and commercial interests, possibly not what the purists will be looking for. Give me a super classy Tendulkar, Lara or Ponting any day of the week...true Genius!

Kevin Pieterson-fell out with South Africa
Kevin Pieterson-fell out with Warwickshire (when having a trial)
Kevin Pieterson-fell out with Nottinghamshire
Kevin Pieterson-fell out with Peter Moores
kevin Pieterson-got upset with the itinery of the West Indies tour


there seems to be a pattern here. Had Pieterson had one spat then fair enough, support the guy. but there have been too many incidents and he now says he is tired-well sont play in the south african league then Kev. bet thats not an option though. Kev who in his latest interview managed to mention twice he drinks red bull to improve his game while forgetting to say they happen to be one of his main sponsors

Kev go back to South Africa-lets get 11 guys playing for England for whom its more than just about money

Kevin Pieterson must be - what? - in his late twenties. Give him a bit of space to grow up! When I think of myself at that age I'm glad every daft inflammatory thing I said didn't get into the news. Guys who are totally focussed on one thing, in this case cricket, often lag behind in the Diplomacy Stakes. Just give them some time, they'll get there.

I remember when I was a schoolgirl my riding teacher saying she'd rather have a horse that was fiery and hard to ride than one which was meek and mild. They usually did better in competition, in the end, even if they did spreadeagle the jumps the first few times. This could be applicable here, hm? Worth a thought ...

Post 89: goldyouknowitstrue, ah but you're forgetting "Kev's" pearl that he dispensed to Agnew that today's bowlers are bowl much faster than those of the past (Holding, etc).

I mean he MUST be a genius, mustn't he, if he can cope with the ueber-hostile bowling of today...

(Red Bull gives you wings!)

I have to say, KP has stepped out of line a few times but this time it was because, i think, he is disillusioned with the slew of mediocrity around him, and the lack of drive. I find it sad that people are so critical of him when he has given so much to English cricket. I find it sad that people read this blog and have a pop at the author when he has enhanced, for one, my understanding of KP [this was the purpose of half the journalism ive read in the last three months].

Yep, i'm sure the batsmen wearing no helmets, on lively pitches, facing the likes of Garner, Marshall, Thompson, Holding etc. with heavier, real timber (e.g. not artificialy compressed for spring) bats had it much easier than KP...a guy who literally hit the floor once when he got a rib tickler...dear oh dear...who is this ponce?

Give me a child until he's 7 and i'll give you the man...at 28 KP's character (or lack of it) is set in stone and he's about as mature as he'll ever be

ps: Katemavourneen...the only thing KP's focused on is his refelction int he cameran lens! But do keep those school girl stories coming...

Gramedgar...if you're relying on Kev H for an education you're in real trouble! Suggest you try any of the major online papers for a real journalist's perspective...even if they haven't been "accepted" by KP

Re post #no 8, I totally agree! I can't believe we're talking about the same man I watched bat abysmally the last few months every time I saw him play! As Shaun says, it's Flintoff who England need if we are to stand any chance of regaining the ashes.

I agree Flintoff is the pinnacle of English success. I also feel that we have the perfect opportunity to spin a win in the Ashes series. I don't think England will have changed their gameplan since their last Ashes triumph at home, however, the Aussies dont have a top class spinner in the ranks at the moment, which gives us the perfect chance to tailor pitches to turn sideways. Monty and Swann to demolish them.

We'll do well to put the Aussies on the ropes this summer.