KP makes peace with Strauss, backs Sarfraz to lead Pakistan

sharjah — England’s Kevin Pietersen has let bygones be bygones with Andrew Strauss and has lent his support to his former teammate in his time of need.

Pietersen and Strauss’ cold relationship is well-known especially after the former reportedly criticised Strauss in text messages sent during the Test series against South Africa in 2012.

Pietersen was then dropped and his international career effectively came to an end in 2014 after Strauss took over as England’s Director of Cricket.

There was a lot of muck that flew during that saga but Pietersen, who announced last month that the ongoing Pakistan Super League would be his last tournament as a professional cricketer, said that he had made peace with Strauss.

He also added that cricket pales in insignificance considering what Strauss is going through, after his wife Ruth was diagnosed with cancer.

“I actually get on really well with Straussy and I’ve had some real good conversations with Straussy because he’s going through some real personal hardships at the moment,” Pietersen said after anchoring Quetta to a six-wicket win.

“And I’m being serious when I say that cricket is insignificant when Andrew Strauss is feeling what he’s feeling, with his wife and cancer, so you put all the nonsense to one side. I’ve actually spoken to him quite a few times in the last couple of months,” said Pietersen.

“Cricket, and all the stuff that happened is gone, it’s insignificant because families are a lot more important,” added the 37-year-old. “I’m good with Straussy. I just wish Ruth all the best and hopefully Ruth can pull through. She’s a fighter,” a calm and composed Pietersen said.

Meanwhile, Pietersen also backed Sarfraz Ahmed to lead Pakistan at the World Cup in England next year. Pietersen has seen Sarfraz from close quarters, with the latter captaining the Quetta Gladiators.

“Pakistan are very lucky to have Sarfraz as a captain,” said Pietersen.

“All the players like him, he has got a very good cricket brain and with World Cup just 12 months away, I think that it would be a very clever decision for the Pakistan Cricket Board to say to Sarfraz to take pressure off him and say that ‘you are leading our team to the World Cup,” he added.

Pietersen said that backing and giving confidence to the captain was important, especially with a World Cup round the corner.

“You cannot replace a captain in the last 12 months because if you replace a captain after a captain does well like Sarfraz has done, he is a very good man and a great leader, so if you replace him that new captain can think that even he can get replaced before the World Cup,” he said.

james@khaleejtimes.com

Pakistan are very lucky to have Sarfraz as a captain Kevin Pietersen