By CricketCountry Staff
England’s team director Andy Flower believes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a "catalyst" for the change in the attitude of star batsman Kevin Pietersen.
Published: Aug 23, 2012, 04:23 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2012, 04:23 PM (IST)
According to England team director Andy Flower, the Kevin Pietersen saga won’t be the last of its kind, and he blames the conflict between the IPL and international fixtures for it. © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
London: Aug 23, 2012
England’s team director Andy Flower believes that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a “catalyst” for the change in the attitude of star batsman Kevin Pietersen.
Flower said, “I think it’s fair to say that his issues over being available for the entire IPL have changed his attitude.
“I think that was the catalyst for a lot of the stuff.”
Pietersen saga, according to Flower won’t be the last of its kind, and he blames the conflict between the IPL and international fixtures for it.
He was quoted by Daily Mail as saying, “I think the IPL and the international fixtures in England are an area of conflict. And it will continue to be an area of conflict in the future.
“It would be better if there was a very clear window prior to our international season starting.
“But it doesn’t look like that is an issue that is going to be sorted out in the future so it may well recur.”
Pietersen was recently left out for the limited overs and Twenty20 matches against his native South Africa starting Friday.
The 32-year-old controversial batsman was the player of the tournament when England won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean two years ago.
However, the England coach is not optimistic of the controversy ending sooner.
“I don’t think it would be fair for me to say that. Regardless of central contracts, I wouldn’t like to put a time frame on it because that might be unrealistic,” he said.”To resolve certain issues of trust and mutual respect, it might take longer than that.”
Earlier Flower had stated that Pietersen must reveal the content of his controversial text messages if he wants to salvage his international career.
