There is no denying that Kevin Pietersen (KP) for a substantial period of time, was one of, if not, the greatest cricketer on the planet. But it has all gone wrong for the South Africa born player. The question to ask is, why? What exactly happened?
His wonderful career
Having emerged on to the scene in 2004, KP made his Test debut in the 2005 home Ashes series against Australia. In a career that lasted a decade, Pietersen played in 104 Tests, scored 8181 runs with an average of 47.28, according to the ESPN cric info website. There were also some memorable batting performances, as stated on Sky Sports.
In addition to the 158 that he scored at the Oval in the 2005 Ashes Test, there was the 202 not out against India in 2011 and the 149 scored against South Africa in 2012. He was most certainly a mercurial batsmen who had the ability the change a game in the blink of an eye.
Why did it go all wrong?
So why did it go all wrong? One major problem emerged in 2012 when it was discovered that Pietersen had sent "derogatory text messages" about the then captain andrew strauss to opposition South Africa players during a Test series in 2012, according to the Express newspaper. However, after been given a second chance, in 2014 KP was sacked. This was due to his falling out with the then England coach Andy Flower.
Although the English Cricket Board (ECB) refused to clarify the details of the fallout for legal reasons, it is believed that Pietersen told Flower not to treat the players "like they were kids" as reported in the Daily Mail. It was clear that having Pietersen in the changing room was becoming a hindrance to the team. Some of the players even stated that the atmosphere was "toxic" when KP was around.
It was as a result of this that the England director of cricket Andrew Strauss confirmed in 2015 that Pietersen was "not part of our plans" as reported in the Telegraph newspaper. Strauss cited a "massive trust issue" between the pair.
Showing his pain
Although kevin pietersen's Test career is definitely over, what is also clear is the hurt and pain still felt by KP.
He is clearly angry. This was demonstrated most significantly by his comments last year that he would consider returning to Test cricket with South Africa. As stated in the Guardian newspaper, Pietersen stated, "Yes, it is a thought in my head. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't".
It is sad how things have turned out for KP. A wonderful batsman he was, capable of practically anything with the bat. Unfortunately he just made critical errors. Who knows where England would be if Pietersen was still playing. But it is a real shame for cricket that he is not.
