In terms of high-profile cricketers of the 21st century, there is none who has inspired as much debate and controversy as Kevin Pietersen – particularly amongst his own teammates. The ignominy of Pietersen’s relationships with several of his teammates always comes attached to his name, the constant caveat to any conversation: yes, he might be England’s most talented batter of his generation, but as a teammate…
Nevertheless, more than a decade on from his retirement, he crafts a new era for himself on the forefront of cricket social media with a recently-launched YouTube channel. If this is a new Kevin Pietersen, it is also one who is willing to mend the bridges that had been burnt in the past.
Speaking to the Telegraph in England, Pietersen reflected on that significant portion of his life, and admitted that while he is trying to keep his relationships with former teammates positive, there are some who he hasn’t been able to achieve that with.
“It’s all good, man. It was just a period of time. People understand that it wasn’t great. And they know that I was right,” said Pietersen, referencing his issues with the culture that surrounded cricket during his time, particularly with those in the administration.
‘He is not my guy…’
“As you know, I might have had issues with a couple of people in St John’s Wood in my period of time, but I never had issues with players,” said Pietersen regarding his position in the team. St. John’s Wood is the area of London in which Lord’s and the MCC is based, and stands as an explanation for Pietersen’s battles against the governing bodies for cricket in the UK.
When asked about his fractious relationship with certain players – namely former captain Andrew Strauss, as well as Matt Prior and Graeme Swann – Pietersen kept his answers straightforward. He has returned to good terms with Strauss, a fellow Protea-born Englishman, despite the infamous scandal in 2012 where they had a falling out and Pietersen reportedly shared angry texts regarding the then-captain with some South African cricketers.
Pietersen also has a working relationship with Prior – but with former spinner Swann, he still struggles to see eye-to-eye.
“Sorry, sorry. Swanny is not my guy. That’s one. But with Matty, we worked together in South Africa a few years ago for TalkSport, or one of those,” explained Pietersen.
“As for Straussy, we’ve spent quite a bit of time together. I played golf with him and [Strauss’s son] Sam. It’s all good, man, it’s all good,” he reiterated, asserting that things were as calm as could be as he turns over to a new chapter.
