ECB accuses Proteas players of ‘provoking’ Pietersen text row
ECB chief executive David Collier has accused the South African players of trapping controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen into sending provocative text messages.
|Last Updated: Oct 08, 2012, 01:14 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Johannesburg: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive David Collier has accused the South African players of trapping controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen into sending provocative text messages to them regarding the team’s dressing room and specifically about former Test captain Andrew Strauss.
Pietersen was dropped for the final Test between England and South Africa earlier this year following allegations that he sent texts to South Africans players that contained condemnation of Strauss during the second Test at Headingley.
The 32-year-old South Africa-born star was also axed for the one-day series against the Proteas and the current World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, but Pietersen apologised for sending the messages earlier this week and signed a new central contract with the ECB after the two sides agreed a process for his re-integration into the England team.
Collier believes Pietersen was only replying to Blackberry Messenger messages sent by the Proteas players, which he felt were unnecessary.
“That`s our understanding. I have not seen those messages and no one has kept those messages, that`s why it takes some time,” a website quoted Collier, as saying.
“It is a very thin line between fair and unfair. These were responses to messages from certain members of the South Africa team and I would not condone an England player doing it if it was the other way around, and I certainly think they (South Africa) provoked the situation,” he added.
However, Collier said the ECB and Pietersen could have dealt with the whole issue in a better manner.
“There was definitely a policy that was happening but we shouldn`t blame the South Africans, we should be above that,” Collier said.
“I think there was a tactic which was used. I think that is sadly some of the ways of modern sport but as I say we have plenty of people who are strong in the dressing room who provide very good leadership who can deal with those situations,” he added.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.