Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has taken aim at a 'leading' UK journalist for defending England's lack of practice during their tour of India. Pietersen, who has been vocal about England’s struggles, lashed out on social media after the journalist cited injuries and a tight schedule as reasons for the team's training omissions.
"Just got sent an article where a leading UK journo has said that Shastri & I got it wrong last night when discussing England not training. Reason - injuries and quick turnaround between games…!" Pietersen posted on X.
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"Do me a f*****g favour! Stop writing about cricket if you’re going to write such rubbish. Injuries are part of sport and this schedule is like every bilateral series almost ever played. Injuries are NOT stopping batters from batting against net bowlers and learning the art of playing spin. And that’s where they should have been to IMPROVE! Trust me on this one as it saved my career against spin!" Pietersen wrote.
He further suggested that the journalist was trying to mislead fans, writing, "It seems the journos are in cahoots with what we’re trying to be brainwashed into believing! You won’t fool the fan with such!"
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Pietersen had already expressed his frustration over England’s lack of preparation in India, calling it "gobsmacking" that the team did not hold a single practice session after losing the first ODI and the T20I series.
England endured a disastrous tour, losing the T20I series 4-1 before being swept 3-0 in the ODIs. Reports suggested that England avoided net sessions due to mounting injuries and a demanding schedule, but Pietersen dismissed these justifications, emphasising the importance of preparation, particularly in the subcontinent.
"There isn't a single sportsman on this planet who can honestly say they’d improve without practicing whilst they’re getting beaten," he posted. "There also cannot be one player in that England side that can sit on the plane leaving India and say to themselves, they did everything they could to help England win. And for that, I’m actually incredibly sad this evening. Losing is fine if you're giving your best to improve every day, and if England didn't train during this series then they didn’t try."
During commentary for the third ODI, Pietersen highlighted how England’s approach was reflected in their activities off the field. He noted that Tom Banton, who replaced the injured Jacob Bethell, was seen playing golf a day before the match instead of practicing.
"I never played golf when I played cricket. I was in the nets hitting thousands of balls, trying to make improvements here in the sub-continent. Have your days off in England."
England captain Jos Buttler, however, defended the team’s preparation, stating, "I'm not sure that's quite true, to be honest. We had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days. There's been a couple of times we've not trained, but we've certainly done plenty of training throughout the tour."
"We obviously try and create a really good environment, but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve," Buttler added.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who was also critical of England’s lack of training, remarked, "From what I’ve heard, England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any. If you're not prepared to do the hard yards, you're not going to improve."
With England’s struggles against spin exposed throughout the tour, concerns are mounting ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE. Pietersen’s blunt assessment has ignited a fresh debate about England’s preparation and mindset on overseas tours.
