Kevin Pietersen, arguably the most explosive and entertaining batsman in Test cricket today, takes on the English cricket establishment once again — and, not learning from his unhappy engagement with Twitter, pays dearly for his alleged team-undermining texts to two South African players:
Why was he dropped?
ESPN Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/577063.html?CMP=NLC-DLY
The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/12/kevin-pietersen-out-england-south-africa
The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/pietersen-sorry-but-axe-falls-for-lords-test-20120812-242ps.html
The Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2187302/Kevin-Pietersen-dropped-England.html
Express.co.uk: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/339466/Kevin-Pietersen-fails-loyalty-text
BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19232767
BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19234217
The Aftermath
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/13/kevin-pietersen-england-door-open
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/aug/13/andrew-strauss-england-lords-kevin-pietersen
Mike Atherton’s comment, The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/too-much-at-stake-for-kevin-pietersen-and-englands-permanent-divorce/story-e6frg7t6-1226449559566
Nasser Hussain column, Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2187424/Kevin-Pietersen-dropped-Nasser-Hussain.html
BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19251247
Read Shane Warne’s tweets on the omission at https://twitter.com/warne888 https://twitter.com/warne888/status/234988998366466048 and more
Official South African reaction (‘Yes, text messages were sent but…it was banter among team-mates, which is perfectly acceptable…Allegations that Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers were the recipients of the texts are unfounded.’)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19247802
Regret and re-commitment:
Kevin Pietersen Interview on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kiaZnXayjTQ&gl=GB
Longing for home and what might have been?
Firdose Moonda in ESPN Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/576981.html
Should Kevin Pietersen forget Twitter (notwithstanding his 710,000+ followers, including Shane Warne)?
ESPN Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-west-indies-2012/content/story/566001.html
The Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/dropped-kevin-pietersen-launches-foulmouthed-tirade-on-twitter-20100901-14fuf.html
Kevin Pietersen’s Twitter site: https://twitter.com/kevinpp24
BBC Sport: Parody Twitter account closed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/19183540