Yes, but ‘KP’ is a swaggering big head of the worst kind. He has attracted pretty much universal loathing wherever he has laid his kit bag. He simply cannot fathom why people like to wind him up (because he has not got a self-deprecating bone in his body and is bound to bite in case you are wondering). He is tolerated because he is a uniquely talented player (in recent England memory any way). When this lot retire, you will not see a single complimentary word (on a personal level) from any of his team mates.
I also find it massively frustrating watching someone who has his talent play the way he does. All hands, no second line of defence, and only ever one ball away from doing something really stupid.
In my opinion a lot of this stems from how he has triumphed in cricket through bloody mindedness. When he started playing professionally in South Africa he was a filthy off spinner who batted at nine and couldn’t buy a run. Through sheer hard work and, critically, self-belief, he has made himself into a test batsman who averages nearly fifty. This is a testament to him, and I admire him for this. However, this self-reliance often results in flawed personalities. As exemplified by Pietersen.
My issue is with how this has now translated into riding roughshod over the team ethic. He will say it isn’t true. His teammates and coaches will say it isn’t true. But they’re all thinking the same thing.
People talk about inhibited players getting themselves out before they have even taken guard. Sometimes Pietersen does this through his craven need to assert himself. I wish he’d just leave the attitude at the pavilion gate and play witha clean slate.
