http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501 confident England would be better off without Pietersen – Cricket News Update
England’s spearhead off-spinner Graeme Swann is confident that the absence of ostracised batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, commencing at Lord’s,
on Thursday, August 16.
"We need to pull in the same direction, not 10 of us doing it and one of us not. Just because you lose one player, it doesn't necessarily make you a weaker team," Swann wrote in his column for the Sun.
"In fact, since Kevin retired from limited-overs cricket, we’re unbeaten in all matches in the shorter formats," observed the off-spinner.
Pietersen, who played a crucial role in helping http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AJ-Strauss-c964 and
coach http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362, to some of his South African counterparts during the Headingley Test.
The England and Wales Cricket Board gave the veteran batsman ample time to clarify his stand, or apologise if he had actually sent those controversial messages. But a complete silence from the 32-year-old Natal-born English cricketer
prompted the governing body to take a stern action against him, by dropping him from the third Investec Test against the Proteas.
Swann further said that Pietersen’s claims of rift in the dressing room, at a press-conference post Headingley Test, left him, and various other teammates, dumbfounded.
“I was certainly shocked by those claims. I don't know if there were developments during the week at Headingley after I left, but it was news to me,” said the 33-year-old Northampton spinner.
“...if there were issues, we pride ourselves on having a very open dressing room...he certainly didn't mention any problems to anyone else," he added further.
It is pertinent to mention here that there has never been a good camaraderie between Swann and Pietersen. Last year, the Northampton off-spinner had criticised KP’s captaincy stint in his autobiography
The Breaks are off claiming that the latter was not a natural leader. Though both the players later made a number of attempts to make it clear that there was no feud between them.
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