slilley wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2024 9:02 am
Never been a big fan of Pietersen. I remember watching him play for Surrey in a T20 match against Middlesex at Lords. Rory Hamilton-Brown was the Surrey captain at the time. Pietersen was fielding at mid off and every time the bowler walked past him back to his mark Pietersen was in his ear, you could tell it was more than just the usual geeing up you see from a fielding side, if I had been the Surrey captain I would have moved Pietersen to fine leg or something as he was clearly trying to usurp his captain.
I think Pietersen had a point about the administrators in the early IPL days- he and others were stopped from playing for no better reason that the administrators didn't like India hosting the biggest tournament. Much better to have done like New Zealand did- recognise it was a gamechanger, and agree a schedule with their best players that allowed them to play, wish them luck, and watch them improve as cricketers. Pietersen basically took all the heat for this, even though lots of the other players agreed with him.
You'd expect then Pietersen to have earned long term respect from the rest of the team for this. He doesn't seem to have done at all- which might suggest what you observed isn't exacty out of character.