Summary
Time to wrap things up, but here’s a final summary of today’s news:
- A “massive trust issue” between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB/Strauss means he will not be picked by England this summer.
- Strauss says a return for Pietersen is “not in the best short-term interests of the side”.
- Strauss won’t rule out a return at a later stage, though. He has not been banned from the team.
- Pietersen was offered a job as an adviser to the one-day side but turned it down. Strauss says that could have been a starting point for trust to be rebuilt.
- Pietersen finished unbeaten on 355 at the end of Surrey’s innings at the Oval.
And in other England news not related to a certain batsman:
- Jason Gillespie is a candidate for the England coach’s role. Strauss will begin speaking to the contenders on Wednesday.
- Joe Root has been appointed vice captain of the Test side.
- Eoin Morgan will continue as ODI captain.
That’s it. Stick around for all the reports and reaction and give the latest edition of The Spin a read. Cheerio!
I see Mr Strauss has allowed personal grievance to influence his decisions. Seems extraordinarily petty and immature. Doesn't bode well.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 12, 2015
And Shane Warne has offered his tuppenth worth:
Is it true the ECB have said KP won't play for England ever again ? Seriously, heads need to roll at the ECB Moores handling horrific too !
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) May 11, 2015
And the answer to the first question posed there is: “No they haven’t. But he clearly won’t.”
Bob Willis has offered his view: “I don’t often feel sorry for Kevin Pietersen but having been told by the chairman-elect to go and score runs in the County Championship if he wants to get back in the England side, Kevin’s been sent on a wild goose chase.
“It’s another case of the ECB shooting themselves in the foot. After the appalling way the Peter Moores sacking was handled, that he was the last to know, I think this is another faux pas by the ECB and they need to get their act together.”
And Nasser Hussain has brought up that issue with Strauss, saying trust works both ways. “I appreciate that,” says Strauss. “I’m not apportioning blame here. I’m not saying he’s responsible for it, I’m not saying the ECB is responsible for it. I’m just telling you what it is, and I think we all know it’s the case. My job and the job of the ECB is: how do we move forward from this? And I believe that giving clarity on this is the best way forward.
“It’s going to be difficult, I know it is. I know there’ll be people who don’t agree with the decision. I still think I’m acting in the best interests of English cricket.”
And Strauss has also been talking to Messrs Ward, Hussain and Atherton on Sky Sports News.
Not much new but Athers has brought up the trust-ODI advisory role contradiction. It’s an interesting response. “Firstly there are not many people who know more about one-day cricket than Kevin Pietersen, he’s got a lot to offer that conversation,” says Strauss. “He’s played in T20 competitions all round the world, he knows a lot about one day cricket, and I want to use as many people, as many different viewpoints as possible to formulate the right strategy.
“Maybe part of that would’ve been the start of rebuilding trust. Maybe that’s the starting point, to get involved in that capacity and see how we go. At the moment he doesn’t feel that he can take up that position. I understand that. I hope over time he can reconsider.”
A member of the Australian Ashes squad has just weighed in to the issue. Ryan Harris has given an interview to Cricket Australia.
““I know that Strauss and him probably don’t get on, [but] I’m not going to believe it until we get over there and they pick their squad,” Harris said. “He’s just peeled off a triple-hundred. If he keeps going on and playing for Surrey – he may quit now – but if he keeps going and scoring hundred after hundred there’s going to be a lot of pressure to pick him.
“Although it has been said by the new cricket director, I’m not going to believe it until we play five Tests and Kevin Pietersen doesn’t play.”
But Harris also said that the decision was understandable given the history between Pietersen and his team-mates.
“The culture in the team is very important. It showed, by the sounds of it, last time they were [in Australia] – they didn’t have a great team harmony and the result spoke for itself.
“The fact that he released a book and bagged everyone in the team isn’t great. It was going to be tough for him to get back in. The fact that he’s a pretty honest person and he wrote that in his book and the players that he wrote about are still playing – a majority of them – it would have been tough [to accept him back in the side].”
Some interesting stuff there. Would have been nice if when, on the “trust issues”, Strauss said “I don’t need to spell them out for you Aggers”, Agnew had responded with “Well, can you spell them out for the listeners at home then?”
Updated
Strauss's Five Live interview
Before the newspapers, Strauss has been talking to the BBC’s Jonathan Agnew on Five Live.
Agnew pushed him to clarify exactly what the “trust issues” with Pietersen are but Strauss declined. “A number of issues over a long period of time. I don’t need to spell them out for you Aggers, you’ve been there all the way through it.”
And on Graves telling Pietersen to score runs in county cricket and that “what is in the past is in the past”? “It’s a complicated issue, a difficult issue. None of us have been completely clear all the way through about what the right way forward is. All I can say is that the decision we’ve made today is completely aligned between myself, Tom Harrison and Colin Graves. We all think it’s the best thing for English cricket. It’s been clouding everything for too long.”
And how did Pietersen take the news? “Kevin and I had a 40-minute conversation talking about all sorts of things yesterday. Of course he wasn’t happy, I didn’t expect him to be. I tried to explain those reasons why we’re doing it, he didn’t agree with those reasons and that’s fine. I still hope that in time we can find some common ground and that we can find a way of trusting each other again. At the moment that is not in place.”
Is it a personal issue between the pair of you? “We never got on as badly as was made out. I’ve said things I shouldn’t have – a lot of people around England cricket have said things they shouldn’t – but we can’t take back where we’ve been. We are where we are.
“We had a very civil conversation, man-to-man, no one else in the room, no lawyers present, a nice honest conversation. Hopefully we can continue doing that in the long term. These decisions … we’ve got to think what’s in the best interests of English cricket.”
Updated
Strauss’s round of interviews has now reached the national daily newspapers. Generally the news and quotes from there will be embargoed until 4pm.
Yikes! Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has weighed in now:
I see the head boy is making English cricket the laughing stock again! #StraussLogic
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) May 12, 2015
This, from below the line, sums up the general mood I would say:
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden reckons the Pietersen decision is “a joke”.
@fwildecricket what a joke #KPForEngland
— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) May 12, 2015
Just re-listening to Strauss. He says England need “far more separation” between the ODI team and the Test team, which will be music to most people’s ears.
But quite how you can offers someone with whom you have “massive trust issues” an advisory role is beyond me, frankly.
Kev, I don't trust you ... but don't suppose you fancy a one-day advisory role do you?
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) May 12, 2015
This is rather confusing, given the “massive trust issues” …
Andrew Strauss tells me that he's offered @KP24 role as an advisor on one-day cricket. "He didn't feel he was in a position to accept"
— Paul Kelso (@pkelso) May 12, 2015
Here’s our first take on Strauss’s interview.
He [Pietersen] been phenomenal for England over a long period of time and he should be very proud of that record. But over a period of months and years, the trust between himself and the ECB has eroded. There’s a massive trust issue between Kevin and I. Because of that, we’ve told him it’s not in the best short-term interests of the side for him to be in the team.
I’ve let him know he’s not part of our plans for the future, and I can’t give him any guarantees beyond that, but he’s not banned from the side, no one knows what’s going to happen in the future.
Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego has weighed in:
Has trust ever won a game of cricket?? I thought it was runs and wickets..... Is there a new World Cup of trust England are hoping to win??
— Peter Trego (@tregs140) May 12, 2015
No wonder our one day cricket is so stale and behind the times.. Do I express myself and entertain with my flair or.. Tow the line to fit in
— Peter Trego (@tregs140) May 12, 2015
355 - @KP24's 355 not out is the sixth highest score in Championship history, the highest since Lara's 501* in 1994. Statement.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) May 12, 2015
Pietersen’s knock at the Oval is over. His batting partner, Surrey’s No11 Matthew Dunn has been dismissed, so Pietersen ends the innings unbeaten on 355.
Strauss interview summary
A quick summary then:
- “Massive trust issue” between KP and ECB/Strauss means he will not be picked by England this summer.
- Strauss says a return for Pietersen is “not in the best short-term interests of the side”.
- Strauss won’t rule out a return at a later stage, though.
- Jason Gillespie is a candidate for the England coach’s role.
- Joe Root has been appointed vice captain of the Test side.
- Eoin Morgan will continue as ODI captain.
- And at The Oval Pietersen has moved past 350 for Surrey.
Updated
“My job is to take England from where we are to a sustainable world-class team in all formats,” says Strauss as the interview with Sky concludes. He’ll pop off to do a bit of radio and then will speak to the print journalists amassed at Lord’s.
Strauss on Sky - press all ears. Root the new VC pic.twitter.com/nUydT3Bg1j
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) May 12, 2015
My fear is not many people will actually care about your own unresolved feelings of hurt and betrayal, Straussy old bean
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) May 12, 2015
Strauss confirms there will be separate ODI and Test captains. Eoin Morgan will continue in the ODI role.
Joe Root has been appointed vice captain of the Test team. “No reflection on the job Ian Bell has done,” says Strauss.
Meanwhile at the Oval: Kevin Pietersen on 331 having taken five off first over and keeps strike. In second over, Pietersen passes second highest Surrey county score of 338 set by Walter Read v Oxford University in 1888.
Strauss confirms selection procedure will stay the same this summer and then will be reviewed.
And the Test captain? “Alastair Cook has my full backing to lead the side into the Ashes this summer … the team needs his leadership.” And I think, I may be wrong, I got a hint of a possible ODI recall too there.
And we’ve moved on to the coaching situation. Jason Gillespie is “one of the candidates”. Candidates will be approached over the next few days. Strauss says there’ll be one coach for both the Test team and the ODI team.
“It’s not about his ability as a player. It’s about trust. You can’t build that over a few days.”
“The trust isn’t there at the moment. I wish it wasn’t the case, but it is the case.”
No way back? “He’s not barred from playing for Englandd. He’s not part of our plans this summer, I can’t make any guarantees to him, or any player, beyond that.”
Pietersen not part of England plans 'this summer'
Strauss: “We can’t have a situation wheret the ECB and Kevin Pietersen don’t trust each other. If there’s a way to build trust let’s look at it. But at the moment we’re quite estranged.”
Strauss is up
“The first thing to say is that now the time is open honest conversation.
“He’s been a phenomenal player.
“Over months and years the trust between himself and the ECB has eroded … because of that we’ve decided it’s not in the best short-term interests of the side for him to be in that team.”
So, Strauss is imminent. Our understanding is that he’ll say that Pietersen hasn’t been banned as such but told that he’s not in England’s plans. So a question is: what has changed? Here we go …
Updated
Is it socially acceptable to see both sides in this argument and just be sad, rather than outraged?
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) May 12, 2015
Most of our parents made us play with kids we didn't like, and not many of those kids were international sporting geniuses.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) May 12, 2015
An alternative view: “Tom Lilburn says at 10.38 that his sporting hero has been treated ‘appallingly’ and the ECB have been ‘petty’,” writes Jimmy S. “Turning to A for Appalling in my Big Dictionary of International Cricket, I find: ‘Appalling: horrifying, shocking, to greatly dismay or horrify. See Also: Textgate, Ned Flanders, Big Cheese, sacked as captain, fall-out with Strauss, fall-out with Moores, fall-out with Flower, fall-out with Prior, fall-out with England’s bowlers, fall-out with Nottinghamshire, parody Twitter nonsense, Pier Morgan affiliation, IPL maneuverings, declining Test form, criticism of Carberry, criticism of Taylor, branding county players ‘muppets’, that autobiography.’ Much of the behaviour listed above is pretty ‘petty’, isn’t it?”
Updated
In an attempt to summarise what has so far been 381 comments on this live blog, I’ve popped over to Wordle to create a Word Cloud (like it’s 2011 or something) of all the below the line action thus far:
Don’t say I never give you anything.
“Ever since I started watching cricket in 2005, aged 11, Kevin Pietersen has been my sporting hero,” writes Tom Lilburn. “His appalling treatment by the ECB and their petty reasons for it have put me off England cricket, and will do so until Cook, Strauss and co are gone. Allowing KP to give up a lucrative contract then telling him he’ll still never play for England the same day he scores a triple hundred is the icing on this pathetic cake.”
“I have bought Ashes tickets for one day at Lord’s and all five days at the Oval,” writes Paul Opendshaw. “Do you know how I can send them to Strauss so he can shove them up [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED]”
Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain are chatting to Ian Ward on Sky Sports News. Strauss needs to “provide clarity” says Hussain. “It all goes back to the original decision to sack Kevin Pietersen,” says Athers. “When you make such a high profile sacking you have to be aware of the consequences.”
It’s meme time!
Below the line, DucDeBlangis offers this: “There’s a leaked video of the meeting between Strauss, the ECB suits and Pietersen last night …”
And over on Twitter @AltCricket offers this interpretation of the meeting …
Updated
Pietersen resumes on 326 not out at the Oval at 11am. Richard Rae is our man at the scene:
“The morning after the day before has dawned cool and initially showery here, but the rain has blown over, the square is uncovered, and the players are about to begin their warm-ups. Surrey, like most of the counties, include a game of footy in their routine, in which Kevin Pietersen is a keen, if not particularly active, participant – he likes to direct traffic, rather than chase the ball. That said, there’s no sign of him yet: assuming he’s arrived, he’s skulking, Achilles-like, in the changing room, perhaps giving Surrey No11 Matt Dunn, with whom he’ll resume a partnership so far worth 110 for the county’s final wicket, a few final pointers. He’s got 400 in mind, I’m told by the gateman – and they’re never wrong.”
Cheers Tom. And hello all. So we’re about an hour away from hearing Andrew Strauss, England’s new “director, England cricket”, confirm that Kevin Pietersen’s England career is over.
If you want a bit of background …
- 10 key claims from Pietersen’s book in October 2014 (featuring Big Cheese, joy-sucking, “friends” and company men.
- Andy Bull’s brilliant Spin column on the book.
- Andrew Strauss’s response to KP’s claims in the book.
- And Alastair Cook’s response.
- And, if you haven’t read it, here’s John Crace’s brilliant digested read (warning: features Bad Words).
Before the book, of course, was the sacking:
- Kevin Pietersen’s England career ended by ECB (Mk I).
- Pietersen sacked for not giving ‘full support to Cook’
- James Whitaker’s famously awkward interview on the sacking
- And here’s Mike Selvey’s take on the issue.
And if you want a reminder on just what England are missing:
- The Joy of Six: Kevin Pietersen.
- Emma John pays tribute to KP.
- And the Nightwatchman on “Beowulf, Achilles and Lancelot in one”.
Some thoughts from you, the public, the Outside Cricket people:
And on the impossibility of this story remaining under wraps and not becoming a huge, unwieldy, out-of-control cricket news juggernaut:
While our very own Nick Miller pees all over Pietersen’s chips, and single-handedly demolishes the case for his reinstatement, with this observation:
And on that note, I shall hand you over to John Ashdown, who’ll talk you through the event itself.
Sky is making a big deal about Strauss having, relatively recently, talked about Pietersen’s career in the past tense. “He WAS one of England’s finest players,” from October 2014, for example. But since pretty much everyone, bar Pietersen, was also talking about his career in the past tense at the time I’m not sure this offers the defining insight into what we know we’re going to hear at 11am anyway.
What did people do for recreation and pointless belligerence before technology brought us the Twitter Spat? Well, former Daily Mirror bloke and former England rugby international Brian Moore have been engaged in a rare old stramash while fiddling with their phones and waiting for trains this morning, with Moore saying: “It’s clear that those waging a constant, often abusive, war for KP’s return never consider whether they make it less likely.”
To which former Daily Mirror bloke has retorted: “I got Brian Lara out for 0, you chucked an egg around. Pipe down, you clown.” Well, that settles that – and all other – arguments. I think you can file this one under “People from Outside Cricket”.
All taking points are good talking points though, ventures Andrew Flintoff:
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Pietersen responds this morning, resuming on 326. Will he blast his way to 400? Deliberately dolly up his wicket? My money’s on the Surrey No11, Mike Dunn, falling in the first over, leaving Pietersen stranded at the non-striker’s end without having added to his overnight score. Or might Surrey declare? Needless to say, the real story here – the prolonging of Leicestershire’s hideous winless run – is being overlooked.
Former Daily Mirror bloke has started a campaign to oust Strauss – well, he’s started a Twitter hashtag anyway. That’ll go down well:
And you’ll be wondering what they’re making of this in Australia, won’t you? “Delighted,” reckons Russell Jackson, who adds:
“If you piled on top of one another the column inches devoted to Pietersen’s sacking, every twist and turn of his attempted return via the world’s Twenty20 leagues and County Championship cricket for Surrey, then added them to all of the words spewed forth in his fascinating and self-aggrandising memoirs, the pile would surely reach the moon. Strauss is probably hoping that Pietersen will also relocate there on a mid-season transfer.”
Read his whole piece here.
Andrew Flintoff, whose relationship with Pietersen was not always the easiest, said he respected Strauss’ decision but also took the exiled batsma’s side.
“Wow ! On one hand I respect Strauss for making a ballsy decision on KP24 however got to think he’s made a very bad one , reasons please?” Flintoff Tweeted. Meanwhile, the former England coach David Lloyd said the reasons for Pietersen’s omission should be revealed.
He said: “If news re KP is true that he will not play for Eng ...the public must know the reasons ....”
Former England captains, of course, are never knowingly unwilling to volunteer their thoughts:
That bloke who used to edit the Daily Mirror is unimpressed too, but you guessed that already, I’m sure.
And what of his IPL commitments? Will Pietersen hotfoot it back to his Sunrisers Hyderabad commitments now he’s been told runs for Surrey mean nothing? What would Surrey fans make of that?
There’ll be much more of all that to come, I’m sure, and there’ll be much to pick over when Andrew Strauss faces the media at 11. Stay with us.
Updated
Preamble
And welcome to perhaps our first liveblog launched entirely on the back of the second day’s play of a single Division Two County Championship match. Well, not entirely, it providing the backdrop for a selectoral confirmation of something that had already been the case for more than a year. But what a kerfuffle has been created here – Kevin Pietersen gets told by one ECB new broom, Colin Graves, to go and make runs in county cricket. He does just that, and then another ECB new broom, Andrew Strauss, says no dice.
All of which gives the impression that the ECB high-ups are the one group of people more obsessed with KP than KP himself is.
But you don’t want to know what I think, you want to hear from people Inside Cricket make of it all. Bob Willis is unimpressed: “You don’t have to go out for dinner with these guys,” he says on Sky, harrumphing about the “pickle” the ECB has made of this decision.
Updated
God this is ridiculous. So Pietersen is told that if he wants to be considered for selection he has to forego the IPL and score runs in county cricket.
He throws in his IPL contract and plays for Surrey (for nothing) and scores 355 not out! Then he is told that this isn't good enough and that he can't play because of 'trust issues'. He's offered a one-day advisory role as a sop which obviously he doesn't take (how could you take a role for people who have 'trust issues' with you). A return in future isn't ruled out though.
So basically the plan is to keep KP dangling on a string and if he goes off to play in the IPL or whatever he will be deemed to have disqualified himself from selection. Strauss is absolutely pathetic. He is a perfect Director for the ECB.