Pietersen backs England to move on under new leadership

Sport360 staff 15:10 07/10/2014
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  • At war: Kevin Pietersen has been particularly critical of Matt Prior (l) and Graeme Swann (c).

    Kevin Pietersen believes England are ready to move on from what he has described as a culture of dressing room bullying now some of his main adversaries are no longer involved with the national side.

    Pietersen's whirlwind promotional tour for his new autobiography went into a second day on Tuesday, with the outspoken batsman renewing his hostilities towards some of his long-time colleagues.

    Former team director Andy Flower, wicketkeeper Matt Prior and spinner Graeme Swann were among those criticised in print by Pietersen for supposedly creating a poisonous atmosphere around the team which he claims was riven by cliques and ruled by fear.

    All three are now off the scene, Flower having moved internally but away from his role with the senior side, Prior out with a long-term injury and Swann retired. And Pietersen, whose own England career ended with his controversial sacking earlier this year following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia, thinks that is a recipe for renewal.

    "Andy Flower is not coach anymore, that's not a bad thing at all," Pietersen told BBC Breakfast.

    "They don't have Prior in the team anymore, the ECB booted him out…(so) this team can grow with youngsters.

    "The culture can change now."

    Swann was the first high-profile former team-mates of Pietersen's to take up his right of reply, though Prior has vowed to follow suit when the time is right.

    Speaking at a NatWest awards ceremony for grassroots cricket on Monday, Swann described Pietersen's bullying claims as "codswallop" and the tome as "the biggest work of fiction since Jules Verne".

    Pietersen acknowledged Swann's reaction but pointed to another ex-player, Surrey's Chris Tremlett, as a counter-weight.

    Tremlett, who was a squad member during Pietersen's fraught final tour in Australia last winter, tweeted: "Glad @KP24 has finally been able to give his side of the story. People can now make an informed opinion of what went on in the dressing room."

    Asked about claims he had sensationalised his tale, Pietersen told BBC Breakfast: "I think it's Graeme Swann you're referring to. He was a fantastic cricketer, a fantastic bowler, (but) clearly he's one who has been implicated in this.

    "If you have a look at the flip side you've got another player who was involved in the dressing room tweeting last night saying 'KP's given his opinion and now you can actually see what went on'.

    "It's uneasy, it's not nice."

    Pietersen had earlier elaborated on some of the key breakdowns in trust between him and his England colleagues, highlighting a parody Twitter account that mocked him as the worst of all. He claims he was told team-mates were accessing and updating the account.

    "When I got told that I was ruined. It absolutely ruined me," he said. "There's one thing about banter but when it's public humiliation?

    "I was at an absolute emotional low."

    The 34-year-old began his marathon day of media commitments with an appearance on BBC Radio 4, during which he examined his brittle relationship with Flower. The pair were never easy bed-fellows, not surprising given Pietersen had suggested the former Zimbabwe international be removed from his position as assistant coach immediately prior to him getting the top job in 2009.

    As a result, Pietersen felt Flower "had it in for me" throughout his five-year spell in charge of England.

    Pietersen said: "I didn't have a great relationship with the coach throughout his reign as England coach. I think he had it in for me ever since he took over because when I was captain I didn't think he was doing the second-in-command job really well.

    "And then he got given the number one job, and it certainly felt the way that he treated me throughout his coaching reign that he was looking to try and find ways to get rid of me."

    Pietersen insists he still does not know the reasons for his ultimate exit, and again scoffed at suggestions from ECB managing director Paul Downton earlier this year that he appeared "disinterested" during the tour Down Under.

    The South Africa -born batsman said: "When they sacked me they never gave me any of these reasons. I still don't know why I'm not playing for England. I've never been told.

    "I've been told 'cricketing reasons'. Well, 'cricketing reasons'? 'disinterested'?, can you be disinterested when you're facing 95mph from Mitchell Johnson?

    "Can you have been disinterested when I scored more runs than anybody else in Australia? How can you be disinterested when I committed myself to the team with a severe knee injury for those Ashes Test matches?"

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