It's Tough Being Me - The Kevin Pietersen Story

[Riggins]

 

[Jono]

I had to laugh when I heard KP mention he felt like he was being bullied- can you really see the likes of him being bullied by anyone ?this is just a shambles designed to get his book some extra sales and it's disappointing to say the least

Hmm, Jason Akermanis, an Aussie Rules player whose career tracks like KP's a lot (dumped by two football clubs purely for him allegedly not being a "team man", but a champion player) has also said he was bullied when he was singled out by the leadership group.

Its tricky to say from the outside whether it actually occurred, but bullying doesn't necessarily have to be pick on the nerd and steal his lunch money. If he was excluded by a specific group of people on tour, its not far from bullying, and particularly, if there was a parody twitter account made by teammates that is bullying.. Not saying that happened of course.

 

[Spikey]

looking forward to KP being banned from a rural league for cyber bullying

 

[social]

Hmm, Jason Akermanis, an Aussie Rules player whose career tracks like KP's a lot (dumped by two football clubs purely for him allegedly not being a "team man", but a champion player) has also said he was bullied when he was singled out by the leadership group.

Its tricky to say from the outside whether it actually occurred, but bullying doesn't necessarily have to be pick on the nerd and steal his lunch money. If he was excluded by a specific group of people on tour, its not far from bullying, and particularly, if there was a parody twitter account made by teammates that is bullying.. Not saying that happened of course.

Aker was brilliant but played in the AFL equivalent of peak Oz cricket team

Voss, etc could afford to punt him as they were the best and didn't need to put up with his ****

The English cricket team are far removed from the Brisbane Lions of Aker's era

 

[Top_Cat]

Sounds pretty credible and, if true, is not how sports should be played. Clearly during the previous few years things have not been right in the squad. No one should be given **** for making a mistake though I do think an apology should come voluntarily after a mistake rather than being demanded. Bullying and complaining is the worst. My least enjoyable season playing was almost entirely down to our NZ overseas pro (though everyone else was also getting paid) who bowled ****e offspin (he was a quality batsman though) and screamed at everyone for a miss field or allowing quick singles off his bowling. Few wanted to be on the same park as him.

Bowlers should never demand to be apologised to after a dropped catch but then teammates shouldnt have to be told to put their hand up and say "Sorry big fella" when they do. Seems like a mutual fundamental lack of respect which really is your cliched team cancer.

Yeah, was my impression too.

 

[NUFAN]

Imagine how far behind the overrate Pakistan would be if they had to apologize after every dropped catch.

 

[vic_orthdox]

KP paints an image more like the Prior that I'd heard of from others...

 

[vic_orthdox]

Aker was brilliant but played in the AFL equivalent of peak Oz cricket team

Voss, etc could afford to punt him as they were the best and didn't need to put up with his ****

The English cricket team are far removed from the Brisbane Lions of Aker's era

Nah, only punted him once they were on the downhill.

 

[Jono]

Aker was brilliant but played in the AFL equivalent of peak Oz cricket team

Voss, etc could afford to punt him as they were the best and didn't need to put up with his ****

No, they dumped him after the 2006 season when they were ****house.

Edit: See Vic already touched on this.

In any case wasn't really making a comparison as for right or wrong. But saying that the "out there arrogant player" can be bullied too (provided you believe their story).

 

[Spark]

‘The thing is, I did call Strauss a doos in that text to Graeme Smith. It’s Afrikaans for monkey. Harbhajan tells me that’s no big deal’

This, in fairness, is very very good

 

[social]

No, they dumped him after the 2006 season when they were ****house.

Edit: See Vic already touched on this.

In any case wasn't really making a comparison as for right or wrong. But saying that the "out there arrogant player" can be bullied too (provided you believe their story).

Apologies as to timing

If anything, and I know cricket fans will find this hard to believe, I rate KP as a more credible witness than Aker

 

[Jono]

From The Guardian's Spin

"At one point Pietersen says that he felt “there was no team in I” never mind no I in team. Mosquitoes spend less time whining. He is a man who can take an anecdote about how he made his team-mates’ “eyes glaze over” with a story about hanging out with Virat Kohli at the IPL and use it as proof that he is being slighted rather than a sign that maybe, just maybe, he was p1ssing everybody off."

so so ****ing good. Would love to hear stories about KP hanging out with Kohli myself.

 

[Jono]

This is one of the clearest cases of "all parties are in the wrong" I've ever seen.

Think this para by The Guardian summed it up:

Shame on Flower, for making such a mess of the team he helped create, shame on the English players, for being torn apart by such trivial issues, shame on the ECB for sacking its most talented batsman and then briefing against him, shame on Pietersen himself, for this pathetic indulgence of his personal vendettas. No one has come out of this well. And if the ECB and those injured by Pietersen’s book have any sense, they will learn what they can about what happened, resolve to not make the same mistakes again, and let the rest lie still. There is more dignity in silence.

ECB cannot win by returning fire, and I imagine neither does anyone else other than Prior, who is obliged to.

 

[sledger]

Think this para by The Guardian summed it up:

Shame on Flower, for making such a mess of the team he helped create, shame on the English players, for being torn apart by such trivial issues, shame on the ECB for sacking its most talented batsman and then briefing against him, shame on Pietersen himself, for this pathetic indulgence of his personal vendettas. No one has come out of this well. And if the ECB and those injured by Pietersen’s book have any sense, they will learn what they can about what happened, resolve to not make the same mistakes again, and let the rest lie still. There is more dignity in silence.

ECB cannot win by returning fire, and I imagine neither does anyone else other than Prior, who is obliged to.

Yeah, I agree with this entirely.

 

[social]

Think this para by The Guardian summed it up:

Shame on Flower, for making such a mess of the team he helped create, shame on the English players, for being torn apart by such trivial issues, shame on the ECB for sacking its most talented batsman and then briefing against him, shame on Pietersen himself, for this pathetic indulgence of his personal vendettas. No one has come out of this well. And if the ECB and those injured by Pietersen’s book have any sense, they will learn what they can about what happened, resolve to not make the same mistakes again, and let the rest lie still. There is more dignity in silence.

ECB cannot win by returning fire, and I imagine neither does anyone else other than Prior, who is obliged to.

They wont and will make KP millions in the process

ECB has lost the PR war and cant help themselves

 

[Spikey]

 

[Camo999]

I think there should always be room to accommodate slightly out there and different characters within team sport. From what I’ve read Flower seems to have been trying to micro-manage every aspect of the team’s preparation and there’s no wonder the entire thing fell apart.

The only thing that really counts at this level is what happens on the field. On the field I never saw Aker or KP as anything other than totally professional in their approach. Off the field they were both amongst the best trainers. If they need to slag off Strauss or Leigh Matthews occasionally to give themselves a bit of extra motivation who really cares - I don't think their comments should be taken so seriously.

In my opinion the reaction of both England and Brisbane management was poor - rather than try to further involve and value them within the group they were instead increasingly isolated which just exacerbated the issues.

Incidentally I think I remember reading once that Aker is Matthew Hayden's cousin.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Aker was brilliant but played in the AFL equivalent of peak Oz cricket team

Voss, etc could afford to punt him as they were the best and didn't need to put up with his ****

The English cricket team are far removed from the Brisbane Lions of Aker's era

Don't think England missed KP in the middle order at all this summer tbh.

KP just isn't the player he once was.

 

[social]

Don't think England missed KP in the middle order at all this summer tbh.

KP just isn't the player he once was.

No motivation

He will never be as good as he was when 28 or so but could score test 100s at 45 like most top players

ATM, England are beggars and cant be choosers

 

[vic_orthdox]

That's the one thing that would really have thrown the biggest spanner in the ECB works, him making a heap of runs this year.