KEVIN Pietersen's latest career gamble has backfired in the most spectacular manner with the loss of the England captaincy.
Pietersen, 28, jumped before he was pushed after his ultimatum to remove Peter Moores as England coach angered the England and Wales Cricket Board hierarchy.
Taking on authority has been a trait of the Pietermaritzburg-born player. But, having com
e out on top once against a country's board, after walking out on South African cricket as a youngster because of a perceived lack of opportunity, Pietersen's punt on his new team-mates' loyalty appears to have been his downfall.
As a 20-year-old, Pietersen made a high-profile exit from the South African cricketing system to throw his lot in with England.
An off-spinner with Natal, he was not getting the chances he felt were merited, and the quota system – which saw the South African provinces working towards targets of three non-white players per team – was not helping his cause. It was either he or Ghulam Bodi in the first XI when it came to it and Bodi won.
So an ambitious Pietersen turned to the country of his mother's birth in a bid to fulfil his ambitions to be an international cricketer. When assessing the options, Pietersen could see hope on the horizon, in contrast to what was at the end of his nose.
Not even intervention from his mentor Graham Ford, now coach at Kent, who encouraged a salvage meeting with South African cricket chief Dr Ali Bacher, which turned into a salvo, could alter his focus.
In fact, his great strength has been his ruthless single-mindedness in becoming the best player possible.
Every time he has been met with obstacles to his own progression he has walked over them, bolting from Nottinghamshire in a similarly acrimonious manner.
Crucially, however, he responded to being forced to see through the final year of his Trent Bridge contract with an emphatic run spree. He was simply hurrying towards the fulfilment he craved: international batsmanship of the highest order and the England captaincy.
Focusing on himself has been profitable in his four years of international cricket and all the indications in the immediate aftermath of his resignation are that he wants to continue churning out runs in an England shirt.
Pietersen is driven by reaching the pinnacle of his sport – and understandably enjoys the commercial benefits such endeavour delivers – so he is unlikely to seek a move away from the international scene which drives such deals.
But his freakish batting talent would earn a pretty rupee in Indian Premier League terms and the prospect of him walking away, should the wave of criticism he has faced since returning from his South African holiday continue, while miniscule, should not be altogether dismissed.
He has been portrayed as public enemy No1 for a misguided attempt at improving the England team – and now has to repair a reputation against the odds once more.
The full article contains 503 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
