Pietersen issue should have been sorted out months ago – Ian Botham – Cricket News Update
Former England skipper Ian Botham on Wednesday criticised the lengthy stand-off between England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and its adopted problem child Kevin Pietersen, saying the bridges between the two parties should have been built much sooner.
While speaking to media reporters today, the legendary England cricketer said that the issue should have been sorted out at the very beginning and believes it will be a bit difficult for the player to adjust himself back in the dressing room.
“This should have been sorted out months ago,” Botham told Sky Sports News.
“It's dragged on and on and it's very difficult for both parties, but that's for him to sort out. I think he's a world-class player but the thing is this should have been sorted out at very beginning.”
“The more it drags on, the more Chinese whispers, more half-truths become truths. It needed to be nipped in the bud. It’ll be difficult now. He'll have some work to do.”
South Africa-born Kevin Pietersen and the ECB have been at loggerheads since the ‘text controversy’ which erupted during England’s second Test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, as well as for the tour of India latter this year.
But the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Charles-Giles-Clarke-c49957 appeared alongside KP in Colombo, on Wednesday, to announce that the board and the player have agreed on the terms of “reintegration”, and the promising batsman is being restored to the national team.
“ECB and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 confirm that agreement has been reached concerning a process for his re-integration into the England team during the remainder of 2012,” an ECB statement read.
However, it is still unclear when will the veteran top-order batsman return to the national side – in the forthcoming Test series against India, in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362 to take a decision on when to recall KP to the national side.
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