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The Pietersen execution: Kevin, England and the fans all lose

Kevin Pietersen was a controversial character, but a great cricketer. (AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES.)
Expert
14th May, 2015
31

Australian cricket fans are the best-informed in the world, but few, if any, have ever heard of Tom Harrison, the newly appointed CEO of the English Cricket Board.

They certainly would never of heard of Harrison’s uneventful all-rounder county cricket career of five games for Derbyshire in 1995 with a batting average of 11, and a bowling average of 56.

Nor his admin career, highlighted by senior positions with giant American-based management and sporting promotion company IMG.

Harrison took over as CEO of the ECB last January, and was in the room with England’s new Director of Cricket, Andrew Strauss who point-blank told Kevin Pietersen he had none and Buckleys of being reinstated to the England side.

Strauss’ petty and personally vindictive attack alone was devastating to England’s upcoming Ashes campaign, and did the former very successful England captain no credit whatsoever.

Since that black day, Harrison has piped up with the main reason why the ECB has taking the anti-Pietersen stance was to make sure cricket became more popular in the competition between sports for fan support.

Hello, what rock has Harrison been hiding under?

The only criteria for fan support is the “W” – short for winning.

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England’s just come off squaring a boring three-Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean where the home side was missing Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Sunil Narine.

The Windies pace attack of Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, and Jason Holder is hardly anywhere near the destructive Australian Ashes pace attack of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, and Peter Siddle.

Pietersen would have made a massive difference to England’s shed just by his presence, let alone his undoubted batting ability.

But let’s put the record straight in the bigger picture.

When Pietersen was banished after the last 5-0 Ashes whooping in Australia, there were three English cricketers behind the dramatic move – skipper Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, and vice-captain-keeper Matt Prior. As much can be read in Pietersen’s autobiography.

Cook and Strauss have been long-term great mates, honed by their 4711 runs together opening the Test batting for England, third only in history to Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes’ 6482, and Matt Hayden-Justin Langer’s 5655.

So Strauss would side with Cook, likewise Cook with Strauss when it came to Pietersen’s future.

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Broad’s become an arrogant pain in the butt on and off the field. It’s long overdue for Broad to pull his head in.

But Prior is no longer a thorn in Pietersen’s side, as he’s no longer the England keeper. nor ever will be again.

So Strauss, Harrison, Cook, and Broad combined to seal Pietersen’sfate, but in all fairness it’s Andrew Strauss and Tom Harrison who must shoulder the blame, as well as the incoming chairman of the ECB Colin Graves who has openly said on at least three occasions that if Pietersen got among the county runs, the selector’s couldn’t ignore his return.

So he cracked an unbeaten and career high 355, that should have done the trick.

Not so.

Since Strauss and Harrison’s decision, Graves’ silence has been deafening.

And the ECB has the hide to say they don’t trust Pietersen, but Pietersen has far more cause not to trust the ECB.

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What a mess, with English fans the losers, so too the Ashes, as well as Kevin Pietersen.

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