England cricketers fear reprisals if they seek my advice, says former skipper Kevin Pietersen
Maverick batsman Kevin Pietersen believes current England players are loath to contact him for advice because they fear incurring the wrath of the country’s cricket bosses.
Pietersen, who was sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board in February 2014, conceded last month that director of cricket Andrew Strauss had been vindicated in dashing his hopes of a Test recall in the summer.
The 35-year-old has endured a fractious relationship with the ECB during a turbulent international career and, despite being ranked as England’s leading run-scorer across all formats, he believes a stigma remains attached to an association with him.
“I think it’s just a sad state that the messages that I receive from some of the current players are that it’s difficult for them to ask me questions and advice because they fear that they might get into trouble for getting in touch with me,” said Pietersen.
“I know for a fact that there was a little bit of worry that getting advice from me would be frowned upon. I just think that it’s quite a sad position, with what I’ve achieved in the game for England, that it’s seen to be sort of a no-go.
“I love English cricket. I want these guys to do well and I’m glad that they’re doing so well. I love seeing what Paul Farbrace and [Trevor] Bayliss are doing with that side at the moment.”
Pietersen has also welcomed the suggestion that Strauss is considering allowing England players to miss Test matches in order to partake in the Indian Premier League.
“That’s what I’ve been saying for years,” added Pietersen. “I said why can’t these players go and play in the IPL where you learn so much and you meet different players?”