The career of former international cricketer Kevin Pietersen was no less than a thriller. From proving himself wrong several times to off-field controversies, he did not have a great career with the England national cricket team. Pietersen’s differences with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were much discussed.
Pietersen was one of the few English cricketers to step out in support of the then-newly inaugurated franchise league called the Indian Premier League (IPL). Years after announcing his sudden retirement from international career, the former batsman claimed that he has sacrificed a lot to support the IPL.
Former RCB batsman Kevin Pietersen reveals his struggles in supporting IPL
Speaking in a candid chat with Ranveer Allahabadia, the 45-year-old revealed the tough times of the early 2000s. When IPL was a new concept on the cricket map, the ECB was openly against the league, and was preventing its star cricketers from participating in the franchise tournament. Kevin Pietersen was one of those who were directly against the board.
Kevin Pietersen highlighted the long-running conflict between himself and the ECB, saying, “I made huge sacrifices. I lost my career. That’s why everyone in that establishment turned against me.”
He still believes that if he had kept himself away from those controversial periods, his career with the England cricket team would have been more brilliant.
He said of his short-lived international career, “When my England career ended I was 33, 104 Test matches in. I should have played 150-160 Tests and scored 12,000-13,000 runs. That’s what I should have got.”
A career filled with many controversies.
Kevin Pietersen retired from international limited overs cricket on 31 May 2012, citing a busy schedule, but continued to play Test cricket before his international career effectively ended in 2014.
During his stint with England, the middle-order batsman, who was renowned for his aggressive batting even in Tests, played 104 matches for the Whites and scored 8181 runs at an average of 47.28. In the longest format of the game, the right-handed batsman recorded 35 half-centuries and 23 centuries. In ODIs, he scored 4440 runs in 125 innings with nine 100s and 25 50s. In T20 Internationals, he established himself as one of the most dominant batsmen, scoring 1176 runs in 36 innings at an average of 37.93 and a strike rate of 141.51.
The retired professional cricketer briefly explained how the cricket board used the media to go against him. Kevin said that he is happy now and is living his life peacefully.
He said, “The ECB used The Telegraph to go after me… I don’t want to go too deep into it. It was very publicized and now I live a very happy, peaceful life.”
Jos Buttler said thanks KP
Kevin Pietersen felt that what he did in those days has an impact till today. Currently, top players from across the country including cricketers from England are part of the IPL. The former cricketer said that he spoke to Jos Buttler, who thanked the former cricketer for everything he has done for him.
“I interviewed Jos Buttler a few days ago, and he also said ‘thank you’. Because of all the sacrifices I made, these guys can now get the fruits,” he also claimed during the discussion.
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