Cricket: ‘South Africans made Pietersen row worse’

ECB chief says batsman should have handled situation better.

LONDON: South Africa have been accused of provoking the text message scandal that led to England batsman Kevin Pietersen being sent into international exile.

Pietersen was dropped for the final Test against South Africa earlier this year following allegations that he sent texts to the opposing players that contained criticism of then England captain Andrew Strauss during the second match.

The 32-year-old South Africa-born star was also axed for the One-Day International series against the Proteas and the World Twenty20 tournament.

But Pietersen apologised earlier this week and signed a new central contract with the ECB after the two sides agreed ‘a process for his re-integration into the England team’.

And now England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier has claimed Pietersen was only replying to messages sent by the opposition which he felt were unnecessary.

“That’s our understanding,” Collier told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme. “I’ve not seen those messages and no one has kept them, that’s why it takes some time.

“It is a very thin line between fair and unfair. These were responses to messages from certain members of the South Africa team and I would not condone an England player doing it if it was the other way around, and I certainly think they [South Africa] provoked the situation.”

While Collier is keen to remove some of the blame for the situation from Pietersen’s shoulders, he believes the Surrey player and the England team should have handled the situation better.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2012.