Pietersen exonerated(?)

[Fiery]

I was watching it at college...

My "colleagues" decided to pick up a sofa and ram it straight through a wall... We then threw it out of the fourth storie balcony.. Not sure why the elation bought about destroying something...

Biggest sporting cheer of my lifetime was

SB O'Connor - lbw AA Donald - Bloemfontein

Absolutely electric..

Ah, Donald's 300th victim.
I cheered quite loudly when listening to the radio from Bangalore 1988
J Arun Lal c Kuggeleijn b Hadlee

 

[twctopcat]

I bet you celebrated all night when England, or should I say Johnny Wilkinson, won the World Cup (somehow)

Not really, for about 5min. Nothing compared to the euphoria of the nou camp '99 and solskjaer, absolute bliss. Best feeling ever.

 

[Marius]

1. I doubt he would have been treated any less throughout the series even if he had not said a thing. Some people are just sour like that.

Rubbish. As langeveldt said, two South Africans play for France in rugby (Brian Liebenberg - who is from my hometown, Benoni, same as Charlize Theron, and Pieter de Villiers), and Dan Vickerman, ex-SAn who plays rugby for Aus didn't cop half as much abuse as Rathbone and Pietersen. Why? Because they left, and shut the hell up, and let their game do their talking for me. With Pietersen I honestly cannot understand how you can live in a country for 20 years, and feel absolutely no ambition to play for the country of your birth. I'm sure Pietersen's passion for playing for England isn't as genuine as that which Andre Nel, Graeme Smith or Makhaya Ntini feel when they wear a South African shirt and walk out on the field representing their country.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

With Pietersen I honestly cannot understand how you can live in a country for 20 years, and feel absolutely no ambition to play for the country of your birth. I'm sure Pietersen's passion for playing for England isn't as genuine as that which Andre Nel, Graeme Smith or Makhaya Ntini feel when they wear a South African shirt and walk out on the field representing their country.

And who are you to criticize the man's decision? It's his life, his career and his decision. He made that decision and now is finding good footing. Once again I'll bring up the fact that few cared Pietersen left SA until he became good. Very disappointing attitude.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Rubbish. As langeveldt said, two South Africans play for France in rugby (Brian Liebenberg - who is from my hometown, Benoni, same as Charlize Theron, and Pieter de Villiers), and Dan Vickerman, ex-SAn who plays rugby for Aus didn't cop half as much abuse as Rathbone and Pietersen. Why? Because they left, and shut the hell up, and let their game do their talking for me. With Pietersen I honestly cannot understand how you can live in a country for 20 years, and feel absolutely no ambition to play for the country of your birth. I'm sure Pietersen's passion for playing for England isn't as genuine as that which Andre Nel, Graeme Smith or Makhaya Ntini feel when they wear a South African shirt and walk out on the field representing their country.

Sour grapes...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

2. The only respect will be a purely cricketing based respect..

And that's all that should matter. The man is a professional cricketer and a darned good one at that. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how he is off the field, because I'm not focussing my attention on that. I'm watching him hit boundaries, sixes and field exceptionally and that's all he should have to do. The man is not a PR agent, he's a sportsman and he does his job well.

 

[Marius]

Bloody hell, of course its sour grapes. The guy is a brilliant bat, and he should have been making the English bowlers quake in their boots, not the South African ones. I don't begrudge him his decision, he made it and he must live with it. The selections of Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers. and the recalls of Boucher, Kemp and Bacher show that there are still great opportunities for white cricketers in South Africa. I was just asking, is it honestly possible to feel more passion playing for a country where you have lived for less than 20% of your life, compared to a country in which you grew up, and most probably supported your whole life? I hope he makes lots of runs against the Aussies, but when he comes up against SA again he has a mysterious loss of form...

 

[marc71178]

The fastest player to reach 500 runs in ODIs in history. That's not a bad effort really. Must be nice for you Englishmen to have something to cheer about after the series loss and the 6 nations.

Erm, SA 1 - England 2

 

[marc71178]

Had he shut up and just let his bat perform, no one would have minded as much. If at all, he wuold have gained a lot of respect of the fans.

Erm, news flash - he did gain the respect by the end of the series.

 

[marc71178]

Sour grapes...

Funny how the RWC is also mentined in this thread then!

 

[Pratters]

And that's all that should matter. The man is a professional cricketer and a darned good one at that. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how he is off the field, because I'm not focussing my attention on that. I'm watching him hit boundaries, sixes and field exceptionally and that's all he should have to do. The man is not a PR agent, he's a sportsman and he does his job well.

Really? As a professional cricketer, the only thing which matters is cricketing ability? If some professional cricketer talks all the crap he wants, it wouldnt matter? It did to C.H.Lloyd when Tony Greg said he would make the Windies grovel apparently.

 

[Pratters]

Erm, news flash - he did gain the respect by the end of the series.

What Langeveldt said.

 

[Pratters]

Once again I'll bring up the fact that few cared Pietersen left SA until he became good. Very disappointing attitude.

I would have appreciated the decision had he not shown his stupidity on South African fans in general. Play for England or whatever country you want. Be as successful as you want. But jus because you were not able to fight it out in South Africa like the other guys in your country, players like A.B.Devilliers, you shouldnt show the sour grape you are in public by showing least respect for your former country Mr. Pieterson.

 

[marc71178]

What Langeveldt said.

And he was being 100% serious

 

[kof98]

I would have appreciated the decision had he not shown his stupidity on South African fans in general. Play for England or whatever country you want. Be as successful as you want. But jus because you were not able to fight it out in South Africa like the other guys in your country, players like A.B.Devilliers, you shouldnt show the sour grape you are in public by showing least respect for your former country Mr. Pieterson.

I guess after the Ontong debacle the floodgates opened. Seeing as the selection panel has continued that trend of making rather dubious decions, I cannot say that if I were in the same situation that I would have stayed in South Africa.

 

[wpdavid]

I guess after the Ontong debacle the floodgates opened. Seeing as the selection panel has continued that trend of making rather dubious decions, I cannot say that if I were in the same situation that I would have stayed in South Africa.

That's a bit harsh mate. I'm sure the selectors had their reasons for picking Dale Steyn and Zander De Bruyn, even if they were beyond the rest of us.

 

[Langeveldt]

What Langeveldt said.

Yeah I've got bucketloads of respect for him.. He played the second best ODI innings I've seen (after Fleming against the boks in WC2003).. Awesome batsman, doesn't mean I have to like him though

He hit 147 in no time at Taunton a few years back, which remains the best domestic innings I've seen as well

 

[Langeveldt]

Rubbish. As langeveldt said, two South Africans play for France in rugby (Brian Liebenberg - who is from my hometown, Benoni, same as Charlize Theron, and Pieter de Villiers), and Dan Vickerman, ex-SAn who plays rugby for Aus didn't cop half as much abuse as Rathbone and Pietersen. Why? Because they left, and shut the hell up, and let their game do their talking for me. With Pietersen I honestly cannot understand how you can live in a country for 20 years, and feel absolutely no ambition to play for the country of your birth. I'm sure Pietersen's passion for playing for England isn't as genuine as that which Andre Nel, Graeme Smith or Makhaya Ntini feel when they wear a South African shirt and walk out on the field representing their country.

Ah Benoni, I used to live in Roodepoort way back (Home to Lee-Anne Liebenberg i see)..

Top notch, agree totally.. And Bacher has shown that there are oppertunitys abound for everyone in SA.. Shame he can't score anything though

 

[kof98]

That's a bit harsh mate. I'm sure the selectors had their reasons for picking Dale Steyn and Zander De Bruyn, even if they were beyond the rest of us.

I have no problems with the selection of De Bruyn but I think Steyn needs more experience before he can even be conisdered for selection. Obviously the dubious decisions I was referring to was dropping Boucher in favour of Tsolekile.

 

[Langeveldt]

I thought Steyn has stacks of potential.. A bit more miffed with De Bruyn, and Tsolekile? Well..