Kevin Pietersen Throws IPL Under The Bus, Exposes Dark Side Of ECB

Pietersen blames ECB for ruining his career [Source: AFP]

In the 2000s, England played a brand of cricket associated with the 1980s. Their approach was timid, and the team hardly had any swashbuckling players with the ability to snatch the game away from the opposition. This all changed with the arrival of the right-handed batter, Kevin Pietersen.

He changed the course of English cricket with an aggressive brand of cricket, and for the first time in ages, England had found a genuine match-winner across formats. However, at the peak of his powers, Pietersen was sidelined by the England Cricket Board (ECB) as he ended his Test journey with 104 matches.

Rumours circulated that Pietersen and the England management were locked in a tussle, as the two had their fair share of differences, which was the reason for his exile from the main team. However, years after his removal, the former England and RCB captain opened up about the past incident, and exposed the ECB’s dark past.

Supporting IPL cost Pietersen his England place

Kevin Pietersen was one of the first England players to register their names in the IPL, and in 2009, the swashbuckling batter was also named RCB’s captain. He openly applauded the IPL setup and wanted the England players to play in the cash-rich league to gain exposure.

However, in the latest podcast episode of The Ranveer Show (TRS), Pietersen claimed that IPL was the main reason why England dumped him from the team setup.

The legendary batter also stated that due to his sacrifices, a lot of the current English players are playing in different T20 leagues and earning good money.

"Well, I know that, right? And I made sacrifices, and they were big sacrifices. I lost my career because of it. 100%. It's the only reason why everybody went against me in that establishment. I'm 33, finished with England. 104 test matches. I should have played 150 or 160 test matches and gotten 12,000 or 13,000 runs. That's what I should have got. Yeah.

I interviewed Jos Buttler a couple of weeks ago, and he also said, "Thank you." Because of all the sacrifices that I made, these guys can just have the fruits now. I mean, I think the ECB used the telegraph at the time to go after me, and then they shifted. And I mean, I don't want to go too much into it because it's well publicized and I live a very happy, peaceful life now," the former England captain said.

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IPL taught Pietersen how to handle pressure

 During the podcast, the 45-year-old lauded IPL for shaping his career, as the league taught him how to handle pressure in crunch situations, and how the Indian players handled pressure better than the English cricketers.

"So yes, it taught me a hell of a lot about cricket. A lot. That the pressure that we play with is insignificant to the pressure that they play under. They play under pressure that is just obscene. It's so big. It's so great. And these guys are so patient. And they are so giving of their time. And they know how to deal with pressure. You think about playing for England or playing for Australia. That's not pressure. Be Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli walking out to bat. That's pressure. That is real pressure. Or Bumrah going out to bowl. The weight of expectation on these guys is not just your franchise.

Pietersen's IPL journey at a glance

It was in the 2009 edition that Pietersen made his IPL debut for the current champions, RCB. In 2009, the right-handed batter was at the peak of his powers as he eventually became the team captain.

Despite getting a favourable environment, the England player only represented RCB in 13 matches and scored only 329 runs. Apart from RCB, he also played for the Delhi Capitals and the Rising Pune Supergiant.

Of all the teams, Pietersen had his most successful years playing for the Delhi Capitals, where he scored 599 runs, with a strike rate of 136.

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