Pietersen slams ‘pathetic’ ECB
It was only a matter of time before Kevin Pietersen took aim at England cricket boss Andrew Strauss for the injustice of it all.
Strauss confirmed there would be no change to England’s stance on star players Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes missing this week’s Indian Premier League playoffs to attend a training camp in Spain, ahead of their prechampions Trophy series against South Africa starting on May 24.
Cue Pietersen’s outrage. Barred from the England team under Strauss’ watch, the IPL commentator and Twenty20 gun for hire unleashed.
‘‘It’s pathetic. An absolute shambles,’’ Pietersen told Sky Sports UK.
‘‘Stokes should be playing in the semifinal, and the final. The last week of the IPL is a huge occasion. Just speak to him, speak to Jos Buttler, they’ll talk about how much it has helped their development being out there.
‘‘What are they going to Spain for? To field a couple of balls? He should be playing in the IPL.’’
As England stood firm, New Zealand Cricket maintained its opposite stance of allowing its top players to remain in the IPL as their Black Caps take on Ireland and Bangladesh in an ODI triseries.
Six New Zealand cricketers remain for the playoffs: Tim Southee and Mitchell Mcclenaghan (Mumbai), Lockie Ferguson (Pune), Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme (Kolkata) and Kane Williamson (Hyderabad). Kolkata play Hyderabad in an eliminator early on Thursday (NZT).
All bar Ferguson are in New Zealand’s Champions Trophy squad, along with Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson and Adam Milne whose IPL involvement ended when their teams bowed out.
England’s players, meanwhile, were given a May 15 deadline to depart the IPL when they signed up. It highlighted, again, the ridiculous schedule clashes between Twenty20 leagues and international cricket.
Top England players like Stokes are paid plenty more than their New Zealand counterparts, a point acknowledged by NZC when it announced in February it would excuse its top players from the ODI tri-series.
Chief executive David White said the sheer power of the IPL’S financial clout had changed its thinking.
‘‘Our strategic approach to this one has been bang on: Encourage our Black Caps to continue playing for New Zealand by allowing them to share in the opportunities now available in the professional market.
‘‘Don’t force them to choose between cash and country and risk a backlash,’’ he said.