LONDON Aug 19 (Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen’s woes continued
on Sunday when he was bowled for a first-ball duck playing for
county team Surrey having been dropped by England for the third
test against South Africa for sending provocative text messages.
Pietersen sent texts criticising his England team mates and
staff to South Africa players. The South African-born batsman
apologised on Wednesday and said they were meant as “banter
between close friends” but the incident upset the England
management and captain Andrew Strauss.
The game for Surrey against Hampshire in a domestic 40-over
competition was Pietersen’s first since he scored a brilliant
149 in the second test at Headingley earlier this month.
Batting at three away from the international scene, he fell
to left-arm spinner Liam Dawson to enormous cheers from the
Hampshire crowd, where Pietersen used to play before signing for
Surrey.
“I do think he should have taken a break,” his former
England captain Michael Vaughan said on BBC Radio.
“It’s a big ask for him to play at this time. He needs to
get away from it for a week or two, have his meetings, and take
a break. There’s no way he can react to the ball properly with
all this going on.”
Former England captain Tony Greig said on the BBC website
(www.bbc.co.uk) he felt Pietersen’s career could be in danger.
“If what’s being written is correct, he’s absolute history,
there’s no way he’ll ever play again,” Greig said in reference
to British media reports that Pietersen sent South Africa
tactical advice.
“He’s not turned out to be a great team man and it’s now got
even worse,” said Greig.
Continued…
