Cricket: Pietersen text row claimed ‘rubbish’

South African board hits back at ECB’s claims.

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have rubbished claims their players provoked the text message row that led to England axing batsman Kevin Pietersen.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Executive David Collier claimed that the Pietersen texts were a response to messages from the opposition.“This is absolute rubbish,”said Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting chief executive Jacques Faul in a statement.

“What’s disappointing is that I had a meeeting with Collier for the Lord’s Test and he didn’t raise this allegation then. It’s not the way CSA goes about its business and it’s not the way the ECB has done business with us in the past either. Our relationships have always been cordial and constructive.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2012.