London, Jan 11 (ANI): The English and Wales Cricket Board chiefs in a five-minute telephone call dumped Kevin Pietersen as cricket captain as he was making an emotional visit to his family in Durban.
And the ECB followed it up with a blunt email . . . less than 48 hours before they were scheduled to meet Pietersen face-to-face to thrash out the problems that led to his exit, the News of the World reported.
A stunned Pietersen was left distraught and bemused because he was given no reason for the ending of his reign as England skipper.
And he has still not been told why both he and coach Peter Moores lost their jobs.
Breaking his silence after the most traumatic week of his career, Pietersen explains how he was preparing to head back and discuss the future of the England team with ECB chiefs David Collier and Hugh Morris when he got the fateful call.
He reveals that Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison - said to be two of the men who stuck the knife into the captain - begged him to stay as skipper.Pietersen told his bosses he could not lead England while Peter Moores was still coach because their relationship had reached total breakdown; saying that he had already discussed names of new coaches with the same management people who turned on him.
The News of the World quoted Pietersen as saying that he did not leak details of private discussions between himself and the board.
Pietersen said: "My relationship with Freddie was great and towards the end I sat down with him and I said: 'Mate, this is what is going on.' I explained about the meetings I'd had with the management over the situation with the coach." "And then we were talking about other stuff and he said to me: 'Mate, I love you to bits and the last thing I want you to do is quit as captain.'
"I confided in them and in another two senior England players (Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood). And they all - 100 per cent, I promise you categorically - said to me: 'Do not leave, please, as England captain.'
One of the accusations levelled at Pietersen is that his camp leaked details of the rift with Moores in a bid to force the ECB's hand. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
