Published: Jan 14, 2013, 11:44 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 14, 2013, 11:44 PM (IST)
Matt Prior (L) and Kevin Pietersen pictured during a tour match between England and Haryana in November 2012 © Getty Images
London: Jan 14, 2013
England wicketkeeper Matt Prior on Monday revealed that his intervention in the Kevin Pietersen’s row with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) helped in the cricketers’ return to the national side.
Pietersen was axed from the England side after the test message row which surfaced during the Test series against South Africa last year, but later he reached an agreement with the ECB to make a remarkable comeback.
Prior told The Cricketer magazine in an interview that he called Pietersen from a train to try to solve the problem.
“I like everything out in the open. Kev was obviously not happy with what was going on from an ECB point of view, which had nothing to do with us as players [and] was Kev’s own battle,” he said.
“But when I heard he wasn’t happy in the team, then it suddenly became a players’ issue. We all thought it was fine and rosy and obviously it wasn’t. It was a refreshing, honest conversation. I think he respected me for making the phone call,” Prior was quoted as saying in a report by The Independent.
Prior believes he made Pietersen felt that he was wanted.
“Kev said the things he needed to say to a few people, and they said the things that they needed to say to him. Ultimately you’ve got to then grow up and…get on with it,” he added.
