Pietersen's backlash

[Armadillo]

Some of you may have heard of KP releasing a new book detailing how he was forced out of South Africa by the quota system. Does anyone have this book? I have read snippets which show Pietersen is being pretty vicious towards the likes of Ali Bacher.

[BoyBrumby]

The quote in my sig originated from KP's book. The Mirror quoted a few passages, obviously the more choice material. Nothing really earth shattering: he thinks racial quotas suck, Fat Gray is a bit of a tool & that winning the Ashes was pretty sound.

[Jungle Jumbo]

The Mail carried several extracts from it earlier this week, Wednesday IIRC. It was very interesting to say the least - Pietersen was very critical of both Smith and Ali Bacher, who he claims was very rude to him and his father. If Pietersen's comments are true, then he is well within his rights to write what he has done about Bacher. Interestingly he syas he is a big fan of Andre Nel, and he likes his attitude towards the game.

[Anil]

Originally Posted by Jungle Jumbo

The Mail carried several extracts from it earlier this week, Wednesday IIRC. It was very interesting to say the least - Pietersen was very critical of both Smith and Ali Bacher, who he claims was very rude to him and his father. If Pietersen's comments are true, then he is well within his rights to write what he has done about Bacher. Interestingly he syas he is a big fan of Andre Nel, and he likes his attitude towards the game.

that is the operative phrase...if it is true...at this point, we have just heard one side of the story....

[Jungle Jumbo]

Originally Posted by Anil

that is the operative phrase...if it is true...at this point, we have just heard one side of the story....

Yeah, you have to be really careful with it, especially as Pietersen is still very angry about his treatment in South Africa.

[Langeveldt]

Predictable retort from Smith, who says if he had kept his mouth shut he would have copped far less flak.. Fair enough, but wouldn't Smith cop less flak if he were to keep his mouth shut?

I actually disagree with Smith here, and I've been warming slightly towards Pietersen (shock horror).. How can you keep your mouth shut when after forty years of selecting teams on the basis of their skin colour, at age group level, they are at it again? While I disagree with his particular rant (Goolam Bodi, the guy who apparently pushed him out, was at the time an as good if not better pick than KP, so whinge over), I can see where his frustrations are coming from.. I hope he prospers against SA yet SA win (like last ODI series) just to ram home the stupidity of losing players like him..

Players of any skin colour in SA can prosper today (look at the rise and rise of AB de V and Dale Steyn), I think there were wider issues and personality clashes, possibly with people of his own race when it came to the young Mr.Pietersen..

[Armadillo]

Link of Smith's comments:
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/south...ry/258408.html

[wpdavid]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

Predictable retort from Smith, who says if he had kept his mouth shut he would have copped far less flak.. Fair enough, but wouldn't Smith cop less flak if he were to keep his mouth shut?

I actually disagree with Smith here, and I've been warming slightly towards Pietersen (shock horror).. How can you keep your mouth shut when after forty years of selecting teams on the basis of their skin colour, at age group level, they are at it again? While I disagree with his particular rant (Goolam Bodi, the guy who apparently pushed him out, was at the time an as good if not better pick than KP, so whinge over), I can see where his frustrations are coming from.. I hope he prospers against SA yet SA win (like last ODI series) just to ram home the stupidity of losing players like him..

Players of any skin colour in SA can prosper today (look at the rise and rise of AB de V and Dale Steyn), I think there were wider issues and personality clashes, possibly with people of his own race when it came to the young Mr.Pietersen..

Dead right. Once again, KP comes over as an unpleasantly spoilt brat, and you only have to look at the SA side in recent years to see how nonsensical it is to claim that young white players are being seriously disadvantaged in SA. If they're good enough, they seem to get a pretty fair crack of the whip.

Shame about the suggestion earlier that the quota system, such as it is, is the equivalent in reverse of what happened before majority rule though. Perhaps that isn't what you meant.

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by wpdavid

Shame about the suggestion earlier that the quota system, such as it is, is the equivalent in reverse of what happened before majority rule though. Perhaps that isn't what you meant.

I meant that after years and years where your most important trait in SA is the colour of your skin, it would be refreshing to live in a society where that is totally irellevant.. (be it sports, whatever)... Mind you, show me a country which doesn't label you by your skin colour..

[open365]

Originally Posted by wpdavid

Dead right. Once again, KP comes over as an unpleasantly spoilt brat, and you only have to look at the SA side in recent years to see how nonsensical it is to claim that young white players are being seriously disadvantaged in SA. If they're good enough, they seem to get a pretty fair crack of the whip.

Shame about the suggestion earlier that the quota system, such as it is, is the equivalent in reverse of what happened before majority rule though. Perhaps that isn't what you meant.

That's a bit harsh, getting left out of a sporting side because of the colour of your skin is a terrible thing, i think he had a right to be pretty ****ed of with it at the time.

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by open365

That's a bit harsh, getting left out of a sporting side because of the colour of your skin is a terrible thing, i think he had a right to be pretty ****ed of with it at the time.

But he wasn't though, thats the point.. (Goolam Bodi at the time was a far better spin bowler, and KP offered little in the way of batting back then)

As fate has it, KP has taken strides forward and Bodi has faded away, but at the time who was to know that? I expect Goolam had the far superior attitude as well..

[open365]

Originally Posted by Langeveldt

But he wasn't though, thats the point.. (Goolam Bodi at the time was a far better spin bowler, and KP offered little in the way of batting back then)

As fate has it, KP has taken strides forward and Bodi has faded away, but at the time who was to know that? I expect Goolam had the far superior attitude as well..

He was?

Mmmm...somehow i'm not suprised that KP would chose to ignore that fact.

[Jono]

Its times like this I wish Graeme Smith was chosen in the World XI ODI squad as well, that too as captain. Seeing him bark orders at KP would have been a sight to see.

[Langeveldt]

Originally Posted by open365

He was?

Mmmm...somehow i'm not suprised that KP would chose to ignore that fact.

Afraid so.. Pietersens rise occured when he was at Nottinghamshire, and it was one of the biggest transformations in any cricketer ever.. If you asked me six years ago who I'd rather have had in my side, I'd have said Bodi every time.. The system might be bulls***, but so seems Pietersen's perception of his own ability while in SA..

[social]

I suppose if Wayne Rooney's girlfriend can write an autobiography then KP can but I actually preferred the days when you had to achieve something for more than a minute before getting a publishing deal.