Trust is two-way street, says ‘misled’ KP

LONDON: An extraordinary week in Kevin Pietersen’s turbulent career will end with him flying back to India to play in the IPL, feeling betrayed by what he described as “deceitful” behaviour by the England management.

Pietersen was told by new England cricket director Andrew Strauss on Monday that he was not in his plans for this summer’s Test matches because of a breakdown of trust. And the flamboyant 34-yearold right-hander, who completed a careerbest 355 not out for Surrey yesterday, responded in typically forthright manner.

“I am absolutely devastated that it looks like my hopes of an England recall have been brought to a close, especially given everything that has been said and asked of me,” Pietersen wrote in a column published in the Daily Telegraph today.

“I had a meeting with Andrew Strauss and (England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive) Tom

AND TWITTER SAID... @GraemeSmith49 I see the head boy is making English cricket the laughing stock again! #StraussLogic @ShaneWarne Read that my old mate Strauss has said KP won’t play for Eng, but offered him an advisory role to help Eng? What the? Serious ? #shambles @GaryLineker I see Mr Strauss has allowed personal grievance to influence his decisions. Seems extraordinarily petty and immature. Doesn’t bode well. @KumarSanga2 ‘I don’t trust @KP24 enough for him to play for England, but I trust him enough to advise me Harrison at a hotel in London on Monday night.

“I have never hidden my determination to once again represent England and, having played one of the best innings of my career earlier in the day, I must admit I was riding the crest of a wave.

“They used the word ‘trust’ to justify not selecting me, well, trust is a two-way thing.”

Pietersen will fly to India on Friday at the request of his IPL team, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

He pulled out of a deal to join the Sunrisers, at great personal expense, he said, to play for Surrey and boost his chances of an England recall.

Strauss, who fired England coach Peter Moores on Saturday to raise Pietersen’s hopes of a return to the team, explained his thinking at a news conference at Lord’s yesterday.

“The truth about Kevin is that he is a phenomenal cricketer. But over months and years trust has eroded between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB,” he said.

“There is a massive trust issue between me and Kevin.”

Despite his undoubtedly on ODI cricket’ #strausslogic @WestwoodLee That’s England cricket not thinking outside the box! @TheCricketerMag “Only the ECB can make a martyr of a man who’s been a colossal d**khead to all of his teammates” (Anonymous, 2015) @abutch58 @markbutcher72 What?? have Greece offered #KP citizenship? @willcarling English cricket & rugby – pick best players available. Team is not about mates, it’s about winning. Friendship is not goal, winning is @piersmorgan Perhaps everyone can now understand why KP called Strauss a doos. egotistical approach to the game, it is hard not to feel sympathy for a player who has scored 8 181 Test runs, including 23 centuries.

Pietersen was sacked by England in February 2014 after being accused of being disengaged from the team during the 5-0 Ashes mauling in Australia.

A controversial autobiography further distanced him from an international recall, but incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves said in March he would be considered if he made runs in county cricket. He has done exactly that. “I went into the meeting expecting Strauss to say that England’s batting order is good at the moment, but if I continued to score runs and if an injury occurred then I would be in contention to play.

“I would naturally have to earn my recall, but at least I would be eligible. But no.

“I feel deeply misled. I had two phone conversations with Colin Graves and he was crystal clear in saying I had to get a county, score runs and that there was a clean slate.

“It is horrendous to feel I have been led down the garden path. They knew all along this was a dead end for me.

“I am angry and hurt, but right now there is nothing I can do about it. Strauss will be judged on his results.”

The South African-born pair of Pietersen and former England skipper Strauss were teammates for a long time, but have a checkered history.

The swashbuckling middleorder batsman was dropped for a Test against South Africa in 2012 after sending provocative texts about Strauss to the opposition.

Strauss was forced to issue an apology last year after being caught making offensive remarks about Pietersen while on a commentary stint with Sky. – Reuters