Caught out! The vile texts that mean cricket superstar Kevin Pietersen might never play for England again
THE controversial text messages that threaten to end Kevin Pietersen’s international cricket career contained a vile four-letter attack on the England captain, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
At least one text – sent by the South African-born England batsman to opposing South African players – referred to Andrew Strauss as a ‘doos’.
In Afrikaans the word literally means ‘box’, but it has a slang application of ‘dumb c***’.
The message, thought to be one of a series, cost Pietersen his place in the crucial final Test against South Africa at Lord’s.
And the disclosure of its obscene content will deepen divisions within the England team and further infuriate Strauss, who was also born in South Africa.
Although 32-year-old Pietersen issued a carefully worded apology after the scandal broke last week, he has been warned he will not even be considered for England duties again unless he divulges the full content of all the texts. A source close to the England dressing room said: ‘If he refuses to show the contents of the texts then he’s finished and if he does show the texts then he’s probably finished anyway.’
Pietersen is understood to have sent the messages to South African stars AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn during the second drawn Test in Leeds that culminated in a press conference in which Pietersen highlighted divisions within the dressing room.
He later described the text as ‘banter between close friends’, but Strauss admitted he felt ‘let down’ by his highest profile player.
In a further embarrassment, it has also become clear that Pietersen spent the Monday night of England’s defeat in the first Test in a London wine bar close to his Chelsea home with members of the victorious South African team.
While his own team-mates licked their wounds, he was spotted in Brinkley’s, a favourite haunt of Chelsea players – including his friend Frank Lampard – alongside Steyn and de Villiers and a handful of others.
Despite his impressive batting average of just under 50, which puts him among the elite of world cricket, Pietersen has been a divisive influence because of his almost rock-star status in a traditionally understated sport.
Married to former Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor, the brash batsman shocked traditionalists early in his career by sporting an earring and dyeing his hair. He also has a tattoo of the England badge on his arm. Tensions between the batsman and the England management have been especially acute after cricket chiefs refused his demands that he be allowed to pick and choose his Test and one-day appearances so he could accept a contract worth more than £1.5million to appear in the Indian Premier League.
Pietersen’s fall from grace has overshadowed the deciding third Test, which yesterday saw England struggling despite his replacement Jonny Bairstow making 95. The series is seen as crucial because the winners will be the world’s number one side.
The Mail on Sunday has also learned that, despite denials, the source of the original texts leak is a member of the official South Africa tour party. On Wednesday the tourists’ captain Graeme Smith said claims the existence of the texts had been deliberately made public were a ‘load of rubbish’.
Last night the England camp said it had no further comment and Pietersen’s spokesman could not be reached.