Kevin Pietersen "dominated the front and back pages of Britain's newspapers on Wednesday" with many sympathizing with the "controversial batsman" whose England comeback bid has been "thwarted by new cricket director Andrew Strauss," according to Mike Collett of REUTERS. The "flamboyant South African-born right-hander, who hit a career-best 355 not out for Surrey at The Oval on Tuesday," has said the snub has left him "absolutely devastated." The Guardian's front page was "dominated by a huge photograph of the maverick batsman" under the headline "Kevin Pietersen 355 not out. Except he is." The Sun's back page had the headline "Traitors" with a double page spread headlined "Retired .. Hurt." The Daily Mirror back page said "Betrayal," highlighting Pietersen's remarks "They say they don't trust me, but how can anyone trust them?" The incident "has also dominated social media discussions."
The fallout "went beyond cricket" with former England national team captain Gary Lineker saying, "Strauss's decision seems extraordinarily petty. I have never been in a dressing room where I have liked or even respected everyone. You deal with it" (
REUTERS, 5/13).
 |
| Source: Guardian |
PIETERSEN SPEAKS OUT: In London, Pietersen wrote under the header, "Kevin Pietersen exclusive: My fury at England deceit," I am "absolutely devastated that it looks like my hopes of an England recall have been brought to a close." I went into the meeting expecting Strauss to "say that England's batting
order is good at the moment but if I continued to score runs and if an
injury occurred then I would be in contention to play." I would "naturally
have to earn my recall, but at least I would be eligible." But no. Quite
simply, "I feel deeply misled." I am angry and hurt "but right now there is nothing I can do about it." Strauss will be "judged on his results." Yet I have heard from "two very
good sources that results do not matter this summer anyway." The job
description for the director of cricket job is "focused on longer-term
goals" (TELEGRAPH, 5/13).
APPLICANTS 'CRAZY': The BBC reported former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said that "anyone applying for the job of England head coach would be 'crazy.'" He said that the decision to exclude Pietersen "shows the new coach will merely be a stooge for the England & Wales Cricket Board." Hayden: "You're going to have no control whatsoever. You are the man the establishment is going to kick" (BBC, 5/13).
#STRAUSSLOGIC: The BBC reported in a separate piece cricket fans around the world have been criticizing Strauss for not considering Pietersen -- mocking him with the hashtag #StraussLogic. More than 20,000 tweets have been sent since Tuesday mocking Strauss, "with some comparing the decision to dropping the batsman to, for instance, Barcelona dropping Lionel Messi." Pietersen himself even weighed in, tweeting he was thinking of "applying for the coaching job! #StraussLogic" (BBC, 5/13).
DERIDED DOWN UNDER: The TELEGRAPH reported as if English cricket "did not have reason enough to feel wretched," some salt has "now been rubbed into their wounds by a
familiar foe -- Australia." Shane Warne, Pietersen's former colleague at Hampshire, "expressed
bemusement at the ECB's handling of the affair, and claimed Jason
Gillespie and Justin Langer -- two possible candidates to succeed Peter
Moores as head coach -- would have wanted Pietersen in the team."
Sympathy was in "equally short supply among Australia's current crop of players."
Asked whether he was "pleased he would not be having to bowl at the man who has laid waste to many an Australian attack during his stellar Test career," pace bowler Ryan Harris said, "Of course, absolutely; he's a bloody good player and one of the hardest to bowl to, I find." Pete Siddle said, "A bloke that averages 50 in Test cricket, I’m happy to have him out of the side and get someone else in who averages less" (
TELEGRAPH, 5/13).
THE OBSESSION: In London, Marina Hyde commented it is "difficult to say which is more unbearable: another instalment in the Kevin Pietersen saga, or watching England play cricket." The idea that "the solution to the one lies in the other is temptingly simple, it must be said." However, "it is up to you whether you think it is far too simple, or whether you think Andrew Strauss and the ECB are far too simple to see it." The last time this debate "reared its head, when the much-lauded incoming ECB chairman, Colin Graves, suggested there may be a route back for Kevin, I see I remarked that none of us should rule out the argument being the last thing we heard before we died." Clearly, events have "rendered that projection hopelessly optimistic." The debate about "whether there is a way back for Pietersen is likely to be the last thing my grandchildren will hear before they die, in their beds, peacefully, at the age of 136" (GUARDIAN, 5/13). In Sydney, Peter FitzSimons advised I "humbly submit, even as a great admirer, and booster," of the "No Dickhead Rule," that Strauss is "badly mistaken in this." It was "never a cast-iron rule, and there was always a let-out clause to it, which it is apposite to cite now." On "page 2 of the No Dickhead Handbook, second paragraph, third line," it reads: "When the said dickhead is so extravagantly talented, it would be sheer madness not to have them in the team, you may not only ignore the 'No Dickheads Rule,' but -- and never more than when your own stocks are lower than a snake's belly-button -- you may even crawl across cut glass to have them." It "has to be obvious, thus, that England cricket has blown it on this'un." Any bloke that can "score a triple-century like Pietersen -- he was at 351 when they turned the lights off -- has to be in the national team, if not necessarily on everyone's Christmas Card list" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/13).
