How the England Cricket Board ended the career of Kevin Pietersen

(Kevin Pietersen during a match in Ashes for the England team)

A flamboyant and stylish cricketer who had tattoos all over his body, Kevin Pietersen was the perfect example of a cricketer who used to be aggressive and destructive with his approach while batting for the England team. In his prime years, he used to be the best batter of the England team and was the reason why England won the Test series in India and Australia during the 2011-12 era. However, it was the unfateful series against the Australian team that ended his career. He served England cricket for 9 years and his whole career was surrounded by controversies which finally ended in 2014 and hence he was kept out of the England team from there on.

Kevin Pietersen’s glory days

Coming from South Africa, Kevin Pietersen moved to England in 2000 and since then, he made his name as one of the beasts of a cricketer in the domestic circuit. He made his International debut in 2004 and already became a superstar of the team in just the first few matches. With the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa, he made a name of himself by scoring runs aggressively. However, his major success came in the 2005 Ashes when he became the top run-scorer of the series by having 473 runs from just 10 innings at an average of 52.55. He helped the England team to clinch the series 2-1 and hence grew up his ante.

(Kevin Pietersen celebrates after scoring a century in the Ashes)

In the next 2 years, Kevin Pietersen played against teams like India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia and he had decent outings there too. Throughout his career, Pietersen had a number of matches where he won them alone for the team. In the 2010 T20 World Cup that England won, it was Kevin Pietersen who again came out as the top run scorer and got 248 runs from the 6 matches played by him there. In the next series in Australia the Ashes 2011, Pietersen got 360 runs from just 6 innings and proved his mettle. Coming to India in 2012, England won the series 2-1 and he scored 338 runs from just 7 innings played.

FORMAT	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Tests	104	181	8181	227	47.28	61.72	23	35
ODIs	136	125	4440	130	40.73	86.58	9	25
T20Is	37	36	1176	79	37.93	141.51	0	7

In his career, he went on to play 104 test matches and got a total of 8181 runs at an average of 47.28 while in the ODI format, he got 4440 runs while having a strike rate of 86.58 for the team. Coming to the T20 format, he played just 37 matches but ensured that he got 1176 runs for the team with a strike rate of 141.51. Kevin Pietersen's statistical achievements across all formats underscored his versatility and adaptability as a batsman. From the patience and resilience demanded in Test cricket to the dynamism required in limited-overs formats, Pietersen's numbers tell the story of a cricketer who thrived in diverse playing conditions and against varied opposition.

Controversies in Kevin Pietersen’s Career

After nine years of ups and downs, Kevin Pietersen finally retired from international cricket. Throughout his career, he was constantly involved in the fights against management and hence it finally ended up with him retiring from cricket. He made a big impact on cricket and was everyone’s favourite during his time for England cricket. But with the controversies that he had in his career, it was evident that England cricket had to let him go.

1. Dispute with coach Peter Moores

After having the initial success in cricket for the England team, Kevin Pietersen was announced as the captain of the team in 2008 as he was in red hot form and along with it, England was looking to make a transformation for the 2011 ODI World Cup in India. He even started his captaincy tenure well by picking up the wins against South Africa in the ODI format and also getting a win against them in the last test match as Michale Vaughan left the captaincy in between. However, trouble brewed after controversies in the Caribbean and losses to India in 2008.

(Kevin Pietersen with coach Peter Moores during a practice session)

By 2009, Pietersen and Moores clashed openly, leading to Moores' dismissal and Pietersen losing his captaincy. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) claimed Pietersen resigned, but Pietersen disputed this. This incident marked a tough time for English cricket, with inner conflicts affecting team spirit. It was a challenging period, with the team struggling to stay united and perform well on the field amidst all the drama.

2. Pietersen dropped from the ODI side against Pakistan

After resigning from the captaincy in 2009, Pietersen was facing disciplinary actions because of misbehaving with the staff and other members and In 2010, during England's series against Pakistan at home, Kevin Pietersen found himself excluded from the ODI squad. Responding with frustration, Pietersen vented his feelings on Twitter, sparking controversy with an angry and explicit tweet. Although the tweet was swiftly deleted, it had already garnered widespread attention, drawing criticism from both the public and England management.

"Yep. Done for the rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. It's a #### up!! Surrey have signed me for l ..."

However, Pietersen made a comeback to the ODI side ahead of the World Cup, following a successful Ashes tour in Australia. Despite the earlier rift, his return signalled a fresh opportunity to contribute to England's campaign on the global stage. Pietersen's journey showcased the highs and lows of international cricket, characterized by moments of triumph and turbulence both on and off the field.

3. Early retirement from the ODI Format

Kevin Pietersen was someone who always used to keep his pride at the top and in 2012, the same thing happened when he announced his retirement from the ODI format at such a young age. Although he had struggled in ODIs, Pietersen showed improvement during England's matches against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates earlier that year. However, Pietersen faced a tough choice due to his desire to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which overlapped with England's summer cricket season.

(Kevin Pietersen in England’s training kit)

His contract stated that if he played ODIs, he could also play Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). This conflict led Pietersen to decide to step away from ODIs. Pietersen's decision marked a significant moment in English cricket, leaving fans wondering about the team's future without him in ODIs. It was a tough call for Pietersen, but he followed his heart and chose to prioritize his commitments in the IPL.

4. Clash against Andrew Strauss

The major incident that came out and ended the career of Kevin Pietersen was on the tour of South Africa when England wasn’t doing well and instead of attending the team meeting, he started leaking the chats of the team to the South African players. Kevin Pietersen faced allegations of sending disrespectful texts about Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, the England captain and coach respectively. This turmoil unfolded as England aimed for the top spot in international cricket.

(Kevin Pietersen with Andrew Strauss and coach of the team)

In response, Pietersen was swiftly removed from the team, leaving his future in English cricket uncertain. He was notably absent from England's squad for the ICC World T20 2014 in Sri Lanka, instead taking on a role as a television pundit. The incident not only damaged Pietersen's reputation but also disrupted team harmony during a critical period.

5. Final blow to Pietersen’s career

After multiple controversies, Kevin Pietersen played the final series of his career in Ashes 2013-14 which was played in Australia. In the whole series, it got tough for him to score runs, and with an average of just 29 to his name, the management lost the trust in him. However, the fallout from the tour, along with the removal of coach Andy Flower, sparked speculation about Pietersen's relationship with team management. Following discussions, the ECB announced on February 4, 2014, that Pietersen wouldn't join the upcoming Caribbean tour and hence he was removed from the team.

(Kevin Pietersen dejected after failing to make an impact in the Ashes tour 2013-14)

Realizing he wasn't part of the team's plans anymore, Kevin Pietersen accepted that his time with the England cricket team had come to an end. Despite his past achievements, he understood it was time to move on. Disappointed but ready for change, Pietersen acknowledged the highs and lows of his international career. In the statement released by him, he said:

"Although I am obviously very sad the incredible journey has come to an end, I'm also hugely proud of what we, as a team, have achieved over the past nine years."