Former England opener Geoff Boycott has blasted Kevin Pietersen for behaving like a ‘spoilt child’ by getting himself out with an ill-judged sweep shot in the drawn opening Ashes Test.
Pietersen’s offering of a gentle catch to Simon Katich off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz when on 69 infuriated Boycott, who vented his spleen in a Tuesday commentary for the Daily Telegraph.
”Pietersen is like a spoilt child, the family favourite who can get away with anything because he is the golden boy,” Boycott charged.
”Until someone takes the trouble to discipline him he will keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over again.”
And Boycott indicated England captain Andrew Strauss and Coach Andy Flower should sit down with the batsman and set him straight.
”My concern is that there is no one in the England set up who will go up to Pietersen and tell him that this is not good enough,” Boycott said.
But he added: ”Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower are both quiet men and frankly I do not think they have got the courage.”
Ultimately, England snatched a draw after James Anderson and Monty Panesar saw out the final 40 minutes Sunday during a 69-ball stand.
After the match, Strauss told his batsmen they must now raise their game as, Paul Collingwood aside, no England top-order batsman managed more in their second innings than Strauss’s 17.
Strauss admitted that ”as a batsman, to watch Nos 10 and 11 do your job for you is not a place you want to be.”
Boycott insisted that England’s batting as a whole left much to be desired.
”The trouble with England’s batsmen is that they are one-dimensional. They only want to play with an attacking mentality, and when they are presented with a situation that demands a different approach, they cannot adapt,” he opined. — AFP
