Kevin Pietersen has rarely caught the mood of the cricketing public as much as when he recently tweeted "Can somebody please tell me how Nick Knight has worked his way into the commentary box for the Tests?? Ridiculous."
These are sentiments that will not be disagreed with by the vast majority of viewers tuning into Sky to watch England’s Test matches. Indeed, we wouldn’t be surprised if some of Knight’s colleagues in the Sky box are also wondering what he has got over the producer to be able to muscle his way into the gang. The sight and sound of Knight on our television screens even nearly makes the buffoonish Charles Colville seem nearly bearable. Nearly.
It therefore seems churlish and downright ridiculous that KP has been hauled over the coals and fined by an ECB disciplinary committee for what by any sense of the imagination was a fairly mild critique of Knight’s ability.
Whilst recognising that the ECB needs to exercise some control over the public utterances of its employees – especially high profile England cricketers like Pietersen, we weren’t aware that it subscribed to the type of censorship that would even make the North Korean regime blanche in embarrassment. Yes, Pietersen does suffer from chronic foot in mouth disease, but surely he is entitled to express a view on the ability or otherwise of Knight in the commentary box.
Too many of our cricketers are as likely to induce narcolepsy with the utter banality of their comments in the public domain as they are to say something of any substance. It is hardly surprising when cricket bodies like the ECB issue petty fines to the likes of Pietersen for what are entirely harmless comments.
Where next?
Nick Knight's audition for Britain's Got Talent
Cricket Zeroes: Charles Colville
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