Kevin Pietersen – ECB’s adopted problem child – ups and downs in 2012 – Part I
England cricket has always benefitted from foreign players from across the world and particularly from the South Africa-born cricketers, but no one would have troubled them the way veteran http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 was not controversy free, as he had cited the racial quota system as a reason for the parting, leaving a sour taste back home.
Since then he has been having wrangles with his adopted cricket board, the team management and his teammates. The Natal-born 32-year-old veteran batsman did not spare even the English counties he has had played for since arriving in England.
Pietersen’s relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board saw a roller coaster ride in 2012, with the batsman performing well on the field but failing in his off the field matters with the board and team management.
KP’s 2012 soap opera has included centuries, retirements, u-turns and the text message scandal. The year started with Pietersen’s ODI heroics against Pakistan in UAE, but the startling performance was soon overshadowed by problems with the governing body, which began with KP’s criticism of a Sky commentator and, after seeing many ups and downs, ended with his axe.
Given below is the summary of how the rift between the player and the England cricket board grew wider and wider, in 2012.
February 2012: Kevin Pietersen opens with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026 in Pakistan ODIs
The year started with Pietersen’s promotion on the batting order during the four-ODI series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033, in February. The hard-hitting batsman performed magnificently in the series compiling a tally of 281 runs from four matches, at a startling average of 93.66. KP also scored two match winning centuries (111 not out and 130) during England’s 4-0 series whitewash of Pakistan.
He also played a match winning knock of 62 runs in the T20 series decider in Abu Dhabi, on February 27, to help the Poms clinch the three-match series 2-1.
Delighted with his limited-overs performance in the Gulf and invigorated by the prospect of opening the batting, the Natal-born lanky batsman reiterated enthusiastically his commitment to all forms of international cricket.
24 May: KP fined for criticising Sky commentator
The England and Wales Cricket Board fined the veteran batsman an undisclosed sum for criticising a Sky television commentator Nick Knight on a social networking website Twitter, during the first Test of two-match home series against West Indies.
"Can somebody please tell me how Knight has worked his way into the commentary box for Tests? Ridiculous." Pietersen had tweeted.
It was a relatively trivial matter, but it gave a glimpse of KP’s increasingly frayed relationship with ECB, which described the remarks to be “prejudicial to ECB interests and a breach of the England conditions of employment”.
31 May: KP retires from ODI cricket
A few months later, Pietersen turned it on its head again announcing retirement from One Day International cricket, during the home Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760.
He wanted to continue playing for England in T20 cricket, especially with the T20 World Cup around the corner, but governing body ruled him out of the national T20 side, as the terms of ECB central contract prevent players from being available for only one format.
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