By Jithu Jose Parackal
There are certain things you are not supposed to do, and the ECB has absolutely done what should have been avoided. They have sacked one of the most feared and flamboyant batsman in world cricket today – Kevin Pietersen. This decision by ECB can be simply termed as shambolic. There is no reason why they dropped the blissful Pietersen. It all started with ECB announcing squad for the forthcoming series of the Carribean and the World T20. ECB will have to clarify why they went with such a strange decision.
Kevin Pietersen has played 104 test matches and 150 limited overs matches in a career that spanned over 9 years. In the last few decades, there were none like Kevin Pietersen in the living memory to have made such an impact to the England team. It was in 2005 that Kevin Pietersen, the South African born batsman unleashed himself on the Aussies in the Ashes. England owes a lot to this flamboyant batsman, not just for his individual efforts but for acting as a catalyst to the English team. Still remember his switch hit against New Zealand from the bowling of Scott Styris. He was controversial and arrogant, but there was a class in it too. In many of the biggest wins England have had in the past decade Kevin Pietersen have been an integral part. His rise to the peak in test cricket started when he was selected ahead of Graham Thorpe, but he amazed literally everyone returning the urn after 17 years with a srtoke filled 158 at the Oval. He finished the series with 473 runs at an average of 52.55. After that Ashes, there has been no looking back. He was the backbone of England batting line-up. Often he was the talisman, and came to rescue of the English team.
Imagine Argentina dropping Lionel Messi from the Argentina team for the FIFA World Cup. What would happen next would be pandemonium! The people would bamboozle the AFA.
The equation is simple – there needs to be an explanation on why he was dropped? KP was top run-getter for England in the 2013-14 Ashes series.
One thing is for sure, Pietersen is 33 and still hungry to play. What if his country doesn’t need him, he will attract lucrative offers from big leagues like the Big Bash and Ipl. There are every chance that he will make it big in the Ipl Auctions this time.
