About 10 years after Kevin Pietersen packed up and left, kicking the KwaZulu Natal cricket Union in the teeth for ‘greener pastures’ he’s come full circle. Or trying to, anyway.
Yes, the wannabe Pom with the Twitter picture of himself playing cricket on a Cape Town beach and his bio saying: ‘proud English cricketer’ has decided to return to his home ground…for free.
KP has been short of form and, when he is not having foul-mouth outbursts on Twitter, he is struggling to score runs. After trading Hampshire for Surrey, he’s had a mixed bag of fortune. Scoring 116 in a CB40 game (his first ton since March 2009) and followed this up with a quacker. With the Ashes around the corner, and after recently being given the chop by Andy Flower, Kevin Pietersen is desperate to prove he is worthy of an Ashes berth.
His desperation has, however, illuminated his arrogance and selfishness. And the fact that he made it so abundantly clear that he was doing it ‘for free’ made it sound like he was the one doing the Dolphins the favour.
“I’m extremely keen to get as much cricket as possible under my belt before a challenging and exciting winter,” Pietersen said.
“My sole focus is to continue playing a leading role for England and joining Natal is the perfect opportunity to prepare in excellent conditions immediately before the Ashes. These two matches would enable me to work on my game against the Kookaburra ball in southern-hemisphere conditions, which is the ideal preparation for Australia.”
Yes, KP, it is, all about you. Always. When you left 10 years ago, it was all about you. It was you who was hard done by, you were the only one to be snubbed because of supposed quota systems, you were the only who didn’t have any alternatives. Your life was so terrible, you were the only one who suffered.
You were the only one who had to try and deal with a sport that was trying to reconcile after the apartheid system that had done so much damage to it. It was all you. The KP island.
While it’s all good and well that KP is trying to prove his worth to the powers that be, the real question is: does England really have somebody to replace him with for the Ashes tourney? Ian Bell? Ravi Bopora? Owais Shah (who is apparently coming to the Cobras for a short stint)?
The truth is that England would be silly to drop The Island for the Ashes. He is experienced, talented and there’s no doubt that the snub from the shortest format of the game has shaken him up. He is a class player, classiness is something that he lacks on a very large scale.
The deal still needs to be confirmed by CSA and, if Gerald Majola wants to gain a chorus of approval from the South African public, it would do him mighty good to decline the offer. Saying that it will draw crowds for those four days and, in turn, increase revenue, is absolutely ridiculous. There are far better things that can be done to aid interest in the sport and surely eight days of KP is not your sole solution?
Thanks but no thanks, KP. We didn’t want you 10 years ago, what on earth makes you think we would want you now?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Right I’m going to take this one paragraph at a time to try to see why SA fans are so furious with Kevin Pieterson. Any time I ask I seem to be dismissed out of hand or given illogical arguments ranging from “he was a shit spinner”, “he wrote his autobiography too soon” to “the quota story is so old”.
10 years ago Kevin Pieterson left KwaZulu Natal Cricket Union and moved to England to pursue his cricket career. He stated that, having a white background, the quota system at 1st class level where 3 spots had to be given to coloured cricketers worked against him. I’m not going to argue that quotas are bad thing per se, in an incredibly screwed up society something has to be done to straighten things up, however, if I was directly affected, negatively, in my chosen profession by the colour of my skin, I would certainly consider moving.
To describe this as ‘kicking the KwaZulu Natal Cricket Union in the teeth’ is ludicrous. I would accept that he was very single minded in pursuing his ambition, but I don’t think that warrants this level of hatred.
“The wannabe Pom” – Ahh I think we’re getting to the root of it. South African’s are pissed off a talented batsman (second to 1000 runs behind Bradman) wound up playing for the country of his mother’s birth. The country where he lived as he plied his trade as a professional cricketer, not theirs.
Tell me this. What is your attitude to Basil D’Olivera? He had to go to England to pursue a professional cricket career, denied chances because of his skin colour. I presume you would level exactly the same cries of selfishness and arrogance against him also?
No, no you wouldn’t. No-one in their right mind would. His is a more extreme (and heart breaking) example. But crucially the two cases do run parallel. It’s not selfish to move countries to follow your profession. Otherwise you’d be up in arms about all the SA players plying their trade around the counties too. Wouldn’t you?
I have no doubt others were affected (both negatively and positively) by quota systems. KP was lucky in that he did have a way out since his mother was English and he had a British passport. But apartheid was not his fault and I don’t think going to England to make money at his chosen profession is on a par with the hatred afforded him. Being from Ireland I look at Eoin Morgan, and Ed Joyce before him, with pride and not a little sadness that they can’t play for Ireland, but I also totally respect their right to make a living at their profession. They have families to provide for too.
Ahh yes making money, how selfish of him to write a book so early on in his career. Frankly I’d rather he wrote 100 books to make money rather than some of the ways cricketers can come up with to line their pockets these days. Mind you it has to be said it was a pretty damned bland affair.
“foul-mouth outbursts on Twitter,”. Face it if you’re not swearing on twitter you’re not using it right. He got a slap in the wrists for that, but frankly I prefer my sportsmen a little edgier than “Yes, Barry, it was a game of 2 halves”. I wish most of them would swear more, not less. In fact in your own twitter description you describe yourself as ‘Foul mouth’. Hello Ms Pot, I’m Mr Kettle?
I’m interested to know what these ‘alternatives’ you allude to were? Seriously if he was going to change into one of the world’s best batsmen (from being a shit spinner) how was he going to manage that on a reduced number of 1st class matches?
As for KP in the ashes, no I don’t think his place is in serious doubt, class being more permanent than form. But he did look as rusty as a 20 year old Fiat against the Pakistanis. You could see he wasn’t right, and what he needs is a spell of first class cricket, time in the middle and time to work on his technique.
I stand by what I say when I was unfortunate enough to read his autobiography, he did have a huge affection for SA, but he felt he had to leave to make it. I think the hatred towards him from SA fans says a lot more about them that it does about him.
“We didn’t want you 10 years ago, what on earth makes you think we would want you now?” – Seriously, why are you so pissed off that he left if this is true? If it is true THAT’S WHY HE LEFT.
And as for being so pissed off he’s offering to play for free (personally I think it’s a nice move from someone trying to repay a little of the time & effort that was invested in him as a youngster) if it riles you that much (and apparently it does) send me the money instead I’ll see it is distributed to good causes and whatnot….
Finally there’s no doubt he’s not an angel, can be difficult to get along with (who hasn’t he fallen out with?) but if I was that good a batsman I’d be un-fucking-bearable too.
For the answer to your first question, please refer to this: http://paddlesweep.net/kevin-pietersen-is-a-doo/
He was rated second next to Golum Bodi who was rated second next to some white bloke (the name evades me now).
As for alternatives, he could have gone to play cricket in another Province? He got lucky that his batting talent was spotted, if you believe in divine intervention, then he was ‘meant to be’ in England. I don’t ‘hate’ him. I hate Stuart Broad. KP just gets under my skin for being so incredibly brash and pompous.
I don’t deny that he is a talented cricketer….but he got lucky for being spotted as batsman. I have no problem with KP ‘making money for his profession’ in other countries. Millions of Saffas end up as expats every year. My issue is with the way he acts about it. Oh, woe is me, the quota system did me so much harm. And now I am English. It irks me that he seems to have forgotten where he came from. That is my issue. And he makes it so very public, too.
As for the Twitter outbursts, I’m not a professional sports person, nor am I a journalist. Nobody looks up to me. Some people, however, do admire KP and I do think that sportsmen should conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times when they are in the public domain, even if it’s online.
What kind of an impact will two four day games have on his batting? What if he fails in those two games? Is his spot in jeopardy then? I doubt it. I think he is a risk England are willing to take. Even if he heads off to Oz, struggles there and then gets dropped but no way will they leave him behind. Good for him that he is ‘showing the desire to get some crease time’ but really, did he have to come do it here? He KNEW how much it would irk people over here. I bet he is getting a kick out of it.
Look at Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Mahela Jayawardene, the list goes on. They are all great cricketers but they are not unbearable like he is.
At the end of the day, KP is just one of those people I don’t like and who I never will like and, when he sets one foot wrong, I will pick out the issue and harp on about it. It’s best not to take me too seriously when I talk about him.
mspr1nt´s last [type] ..You’re so vain- you probably think the Ashes is about you
Did you seriously just say Graeme Smith is not unbearable?
*laughs like a dog and rolls around on the floor holding his sides*
Yep. And as a reformed Smith-basher I can safely say that it is just a matter of opinion.
mspr1nt´s last [type] ..You’re so vain- you probably think the Ashes is about you
I love it when the English get on their high horse about KP! Ant, he’s a twat and you’re right – why the hell would you want him? I only hope he comes to Australia. Won’t be as much fun beating a side without him in it.
Sid´s last [type] ..Dear Mr Collingwood
Yep. I also think Shane Watson is a twat….but you agree with me on that
I actually like Shane Watson. That’s probably because I wish I had his hair…
Smithers´s last [type] ..MrSmithMachine- @karinb-za @jedimastersa Some say- he had the highest level of midi-chlorians ever seen All we know is- hes called the
I don’t like KP. I have my reasons. Alister, you think Smith is a bigger knob, I don’t. End of story. We have our opinions, and that’s all they are… opinions.
Most people think KP and Smith are both knobs, so there you go then.
Smithers´s last [type] ..MrSmithMachine- @karinb-za @jedimastersa Some say- he had the highest level of midi-chlorians ever seen All we know is- hes called the
Exactly. I have reasons for disliking KP which I think are….fair. And then I have reasons for disliking other cricketers which aren’t even remotely fair. It’s just a matter of opinion.
Hey Ant!
How about a poll then?
Who is your least favourite cricketer?
KP doesn’t even come close to my utter revulsion for Shahid “Head & Shoulders” Afridi and my total abhorrence of Stuart “I may smile when I die” Broad.
Smithers´s last [type] ..MrSmithMachine- @karinb-za @jedimastersa Some say- he had the highest level of midi-chlorians ever seen All we know is- hes called the
Great idea. I’ll set one up. I actually like Afridi, he makes me lol. Broad and Twatto definitely my two most hated.
He does have good hair.
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