Eight reasons to love Kevin Pietersen

As an England supporter, I cannot quite understand the frequency with which my fellow countrymen poke fun and spit mirth at Kevin Pietersen. Sure KP walks a fine line at times between confidence and arrogance, and he does have a tendency to mince a bit at times, but we believe he doesn't get a fair press. He doesn't always get it right - we'll readily admit that the cover photo on Wisden Cricketer earlier this year, did make him look a bit of a smug plank.

But to coincide with yet another match-winning KP innings, which saw England beat the reigning champions Pakistan in the first Super Eight match yesterday, here are eight reasons why the doomsayers should get behind KP and forgive him his foibles and the fact that he is really South African.

1. He is England's best test batsman. Indeed, with the possible exception of Strauss, KP is England's only world-class test batsman and the only one even close to averaging 50.

2. He is also arguably England's best ODI and T20 batsman; although Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan respectively run him close here.

3. Without his 158 at the Oval in 2005, England's final day collapse would have led to an Australian victory. Cue no Ashes, no parades in Trafalgar Square and no MBEs.

4. His period as England captain gave cricket writers and bloggers the world over tons of material to write about.

5. Without KP, Peter Moores would still be England coach. Cue no Ashes in 2009.

6. The manner in which he led the England team back to India after the Mumbai terrorist attacks was ambassadorial and statesman like. Cricket proved to be the winner.

7. If KP hadn't married Jessica Taylor, Liberty X would still probably be making records. Our ears are all the better for the fact that they aren't.

8. He actually comes across as a fairly humble bloke in interviews.

 

Comments

[Purna]

Haha! I love 7. I think KP is just one of those that people either love or hate...no in between. I find him quite fake and often feel that he doesn't know which country/team/profession he wants to be in! But that's just me over analyzing I guess.

[The Reverse Sweep]

I probably should have mentioned that I met him once during the Ashes of 2005 and he came across very well

[ceejaypee]

Good Stuff. I often feel he gets a slightly harsh ride in the press, compared to some other star players in the England set up or currently out injured. The press conference or interview is clearly not his natural habitat, and the questions he gets asked mean he is defensive. This can then come across as arrogance.

It looks bad when gets out in the nineties trying to hit Paul Harris out of the park, but the questions reflect the getting out shot rather than the 90-odd. The nature of his game and the fact that he bats on adrenaline mean he is always going to get out playing aggressive shots, but test cricket since the mid 90's needs a player who can push the score along at 4 an over as the pitches are flatter and you need more time to get 20 wickets.

He has scored just over 5000 test runs at 49, and 3000 ODI runs at 44, in 60 tests and 98 ODIs. On his record alone he should get a bit more respect - Trescothick (who I think is a great player) has 5800 runs at 43 yet nobody ever criticised his shot selection.

[Rich Abbott]

Spot on! Always annoyed me that Pietersen is no where near as popular as, say, Freddie Flintoff, a man infinitely less professional than him. I'd take KP over Freddie any day. Good to read the thoughts of a fellow fan.

[The Reverse Sweep]

Cheers Rich. Sometimes I think that there aren't many of us that like KP!

[The Reverse Sweep]

Totally right ceejaypee. KP will occasionally get out playing a reckless shot, but it was a series of reckless shots (considering the situation) against Brett Lee at the Oval in 2005. And we all know what happened then!!

[Rich Abbott]

Yeah, I was in SA for the Cape Town and Jo'burg Tests and couldn't believe some of the conversations I had about him with England fans. I really don't get it - there must be more to it than the SA thing, it hasn't stopped the likes of Robin Smith being popular figures in the past. Wants to be liked too much? Maybe, is that so bad though? When you factor in utter dedication, world-class talent and good conduct (even, I would argue, in the Moores affair) then I'd say it isn't. Met him briefly in SA too and he was very nice, despite the constant abuse he was getting from the saffers, and sadly, to a lesser extent, his own fans. Top man I reckon. Glad you agree!

[The Reverse Sweep]

I think the English are fairly self-deprecating and don't like the supreme confidence that KP isn't afraid of displaying. That, the fact he is South African and his habit of getting out to attacking shots all play into the hands of the cynics. Unfortunately, we also like to shoot people down once they make it to the top. KP comes across well IMO and for that hundred at the Oval in 2005 all England fans should be eternally grateful.

[ceejaypee]

That hundred at the Oval was immense. It was the sheer change in attitude. Before Lunch Lee was all over him with short balls, I seem to recall he hit him once. After lunch, same bowler, same pitch, and he just started spanking Lee over deep square leg.

Sadly, the English mentality would have been to try to see off Lee in that mood and grind out a lead, and how well did that work for us in Adelaide in 2006? I've been a bit guilty in the past of being critical of KP, but I think thats down to the weight of expectation!

[The Reverse Sweep]

It was an awesome innings, and it was only his fifth test match with the Ashes at stake. Unlike others he thrives under pressure. I suppose it is his habit of getting out when well set, which frustrates people, but other than that...

[greyblazer]

Most of KP'S hundreds have come when England have been in trouble. Even against a weak NZ attack at Napier in 2008 England needed KP. I do remember all Aussies saying that his technique would be exposed in Australia in 2007 and he scored about 500 runs but Flintoff failed.

I just don't think people realise how valuable KP has been over the years and as soon as he went through a bad patch for the first time and that too because he was coming back from a serious injury people jumped on him. Before KP went through a bad patch in South Africa he had failed in just a couple of test series but looking at the way he was criticised I felt like he must have never scored a run in his career and was worse than Martin lol. Now find me a player who didn't go through a bad patch in his career as even Bradman compared to his usual standards struggled a bit in the bodyline series.

If a batsman is a stroke-maker like KP who plays so much across the line and yet gets away with it most of the times then people should understand that he can occasionally look silly but more often than not he would succeed but I guess that would never happen.

[greyblazer]

A few KP haters arguing with me said that he scored all those runs in Australia as the pitches for that series were flat. I have followed cricket in Australia since 1997 and I didn't see much difference in the pitches for that series. Perhaps only Lara, Tendulkar in 99/00, Kallis in 2001 and Laxman in that same series in 99/00 thanks to his blistering 167 at Sydney have succeeded against McGrath and co in Australia.

I didn't include the series played in 03/04 by India because McGrath and Warne weren't there in the side. Anyway how has the so called great player Smith has done against McGrath and co? The other criticism would be he can't score on slow pitches yet he does average 41 in India and for a player playing in his first year in international cricket didn't do a bad job in Pakistan in 05 as I remember him scoring a battling hundred in the first innings at Faisalabad and came up with a fighting 40 odd in the second innings to help England save the match. I do remember Akthar bowling at about 100 miles per hour and England's batsmen looking frightened but KP didn't get frightened but took the attack to Akthar and co. in that match. So he has been below par only in Lanka in 2007/08.

[The Reverse Sweep]

Couldn't agree with you more greyblazer. I sense where KP is concerned there is a mixture of jealously, the typical English trait of denigrating successful people, a dislike of his South African background and bemusement at his self-confidence. But for me he is England's best player in all forms of the game so I forgive any little foibles he may have.

[ceejaypee]

I'd add to the list of series Greyblazer has listed about batting performances against Australia. Michael Vaughan in 2002-3. I think there was no Warne, as he was out with the Diuretic ban, but MPV was supreme in that series.

If I could only watch one shot for the rest of my days it would be Vaughan pulling McGrath from just back of a decent length over forward square leg for six. Seemed unreal that an Englishman could have this level of skill and play this shot to the great metronome!

[The Reverse Sweep]

You are right there. MPV was amazing in that series and for the six months that preceded it.

[greyblazer]

Of course Vaughan was amazing in that series but I guess his struggles at the end of his career made me forget that series lol.

Shane Warne got banned only during the 03 world cup. He played in the first three matches of that Ashes series in 02/03 but missed the last couple of matches at Melbourne and Sydney as he suffered from perhaps a shoulder injury during the tri-series. McGrath perhaps missed the last match at Sydney or am I wrong?

[The Reverse Sweep]

Good memory greyblazer. Yes, MPV was supreme in that series; but for injuries and maybe the pressure of captaincy he may have been able to maintain that level for longer.