Just a heads up for anyone interested. This is a very watchable mini series set over 5 mini episodes about Kevin Pietersen.

Well worth around 90 minutes of any cricket/sports fans time imo

Genius? I guess The Ego was responsible for naming the series?

Only watched the first bit but an interesting watch so far.

I wanted this to be about Karl Pilkington

If there's one thing KP likes talking about it's KP.

Quickenthetempo wrote:If there's one thing KP likes talking about it's KP.

There are contributions from both sides of the battle lines, so not quite the ego massage some are expecting

In fact support from former international team mates is noticeably thin on the ground

Does seem he has always been a bit of a divisive character.

What a player he was. A complete bellend but a great player.

Quickenthetempo wrote:If there's one thing KP likes talking about it's KP.

Rubbish.

Hs’s doing fantastic work out in SA to try and protect endangered animals that are slaughtered for fun. He’s not afraid of naming and shaming either.

Brilliant player.

Dyched wrote:Rubbish.

Hs’s doing fantastic work out in SA to try and protect endangered animals that are slaughtered for fun. He’s not afraid of naming and shaming either.

He might be, but the point still stands.

Cricket's Mr Marmite.
Excellent batsman in terms of stats and watchability.
Pretty duff as a team-player (colluding with the enemy included) - left a lot of the teams he played for on bad terms
I wonder how many friends he has in the English game? Maybe some of them will be in this programme helping to explain his side of the story.

Thanks for the heads up, will give it a watch.

On the subject of cricket documentaries, not sure if it's been mentioned on here before but there's an interesting one called 'Crossing the Line' available free on Youtube about the ill tempered S.Africa v Australia Test series last year including of course the infamous 'Sandpapergate' affair and its' aftermath.

I watched "THE EDGE " the other week and was great and i dont really like cricket but well worth a watch

Wellernut advising about a KP nut.

LeadBelly wrote:Cricket's Mr Marmite.
Excellent batsman in terms of stats and watchability.
Pretty duff as a team-player (colluding with the enemy included) - left a lot of the teams he played for on bad terms
I wonder how many friends he has in the English game? Maybe some of them will be in this programme helping to explain his side of the story.

Swanny is particularly outspoken when interviewed

An amazing player who was aware of his value. How did we expect him to stay loyal to England when the IPL came knocking. He wasnt even English and never proclaimed to be. We were happy that he was a mercenary when we benefitting from his talent but werent when he decided money making was more important than playing for a country that wasnt his.

The old English school boy locker room wouldnt have helped. All happy to ride on his coat tails but quick to condemn. Vaughan amongst a few that have shown how nasty they can be when Stokes was arrested recently. Vaughan and Swann revealing secrets about what Stokes had been upto on the England tours of other nations. Jumping on the anti-Stokes media bandwagon with at least one being paid by the Sun to condemn him. I was happy when many of this England World Cup winning team refused to speak to Vaughan for interviews as he had judged (like the sun) before knowing the full facts.

Can imagine when KP was playing the likes of Vaughan and Swann would have started making KPs life unbearable if he upset anyone.

Outstanding player but sadly not s team player who upset far too many in dressing rooms.

Cleveleys_claret wrote:An amazing player who was aware of his value. How did we expect him to stay loyal to England when the IPL came knocking. He wasnt even English and never proclaimed to be. We were happy that he was a mercenary when we benefitting from his talent but werent when he decided money making was more important than playing for a country that wasnt his.

The old English school boy locker room wouldnt have helped. All happy to ride on his coat tails but quick to condemn. Vaughan amongst a few that have shown how nasty they can be when Stokes was arrested recently. Vaughan and Swann revealing secrets about what Stokes had been upto on the England tours of other nations. Jumping on the anti-Stokes media bandwagon with at least one being paid by the Sun to condemn him. I was happy when many of this England World Cup winning team refused to speak to Vaughan for interviews as he had judged (like the sun) before knowing the full facts.

Can imagine when KP was playing the likes of Vaughan and Swann would have started making KPs life unbearable if he upset anyone.

Michael Vaughan has always come across as a schoolboy bully and would stab you in the back at every opportunity.

Similarly Swann.

KP must have been a nightmare for any captain but is one of the most naturally talented cricketers that I have ever seen.

He should have been around in Brierley's day.

Cleveleys_claret wrote:An amazing player who was aware of his value. How did we expect him to stay loyal to England when the IPL came knocking. He wasnt even English and never proclaimed to be. We were happy that he was a mercenary when we benefitting from his talent but werent when he decided money making was more important than playing for a country that wasnt his.

The old English school boy locker room wouldnt have helped. All happy to ride on his coat tails but quick to condemn. Vaughan amongst a few that have shown how nasty they can be when Stokes was arrested recently. Vaughan and Swann revealing secrets about what Stokes had been upto on the England tours of other nations. Jumping on the anti-Stokes media bandwagon with at least one being paid by the Sun to condemn him. I was happy when many of this England World Cup winning team refused to speak to Vaughan for interviews as he had judged (like the sun) before knowing the full facts.

Can imagine when KP was playing the likes of Vaughan and Swann would have started making KPs life unbearable if he upset anyone.

What secrets did they reveal about Stokes?
Not heard about this.

Bordeauxclaret wrote:What secrets did they reveal about Stokes?
Not heard about this.

Will try to find the interviews but they were both shouting from the rooftops how Stokes had been staying out all night drinking after curfew and not showing up until the next afternoons after going on benders. Being found with several women in his rooms (he was married and think his wife pregnant at the time). Had several scraps with other players, both on his team and the opposite teams.

They really hung him out to dry. Obviously incentivised by the pounds offered by the Sun

tybfc wrote:Michael Vaughan has always come across as a schoolboy bully and would stab you in the back at every opportunity.

Similarly Swann.

KP must have been a nightmare for any captain but is one of the most naturally talented cricketers that I have ever seen.

He should have been around in Brierley's day.

Michael Vaughan always comes across to me as unpleasant.

ClaretTony wrote:Michael Vaughan always comes across to me as unpleasant.

Yep definitely a big chip on his shoulder for some reason. Loved how Bairstow gave it back to him recently. Vaughan just seems in the same mould as Chris Sutton - trying to be controversial just for the sake of it and trying to boost his own punditry career

I have never liked Swann either - he seems to be the main instigator of the clique and dressing room bullying that was reported....but he was also best mates with Jimmy Anderson and I hope if this was true Jimmy wasn’t involved.

I suppose it happens in most international teams with so many big egos and influential characters.

ClaretTony wrote:Michael Vaughan always comes across to me as unpleasant.

One of them that seems to hate the fact that the money in the game now wasnt around when he was a player. Seems to love riding on the coat tails of others misery by writing for the Sun and doing talksport interviews. Yet always starts his interviews with "well we need to know the full facts first" yet goes on to discuss said issue for 30 mins and manages to write articles on it

TVC15 wrote:Yep definitely a big chip on his shoulder for some reason. Loved how Bairstow gave it back to him recently. Vaughan just seems in the same mould as Chris Sutton - trying to be controversial just for the sake of it and trying to boost his own punditry career

I have never liked Swann either - he seems to be the main instigator of the clique and dressing room bullying that was reported....but he was also best mates with Jimmy Anderson and I hope if this was true Jimmy wasn’t involved.

I suppose it happens in most international teams with so many big egos and influential characters.

I think back to KP and think it is not rocket science that his best mate at the time seemed to be Freddie (maybe I judged it wrong but they always seemed pretty close). A typical down to earth northern lad that did well. No airs and graces about him and none of the boys club mentality which several of the other players at the time had. A brash foreigner with a lot of talent but even more marketability would never have sat right in that dressing room.

I agree with a few opinions of M Vaughan here, some of his comments about Jonathan Trott were shameful for starters.
Vaughan/ England dressing room weren't the only ones who fell out with Pietersen though, it seemed to be a bit of a recurring theme- right back to his departure from Notts (his fiirst English County before he qualified for England)......from Mihir Bose, January 2004....

Kevin Pietersen, one of the brightest prospects in English cricket, is planning to take his county to an industrial tribunal.

Pietersen, the South African-born all-rounder who has one more year of his four-year contract with Nottinghamshire left, said: "I cannot play for Notts any more. I have told them and if they do not allow me to leave I shall have to take legal action. A number of counties are interested in me. I would prefer to play in the First Division."
.........................................................
The breaking point for Pietersen came on the last day of last season when the Notts captain Jason Gallian allegedly threw his kit from the balcony and broke his bat before tossing it on to the Trent Bridge turf.

ClaretTony wrote:Michael Vaughan always comes across to me as unpleasant.

CT - come on!!! Surely you should be writing several reports on players we are about to sign. Not talking cricket.

As regards David Jones' are you just going to rehash your orginal report from 2013?

I am probably in the minority, but I personally like him.

Cleveleys_claret wrote:CT - come on!!! Surely you should be writing several reports on players we are about to sign. Not talking cricket.

As regards David Jones' are you just going to rehash your orginal report from 2013?

Ha ha, sometimes reading this board it is much more fun talking cricket.

Didnt Gallian play for Lancs for a few seasons years ago?

Yes he started off at Lancs after being at Oxford University I think.
He was from Australia originally.

TVC15 wrote:Yep definitely a big chip on his shoulder for some reason. Loved how Bairstow gave it back to him recently. Vaughan just seems in the same mould as Chris Sutton - trying to be controversial just for the sake of it and trying to boost his own punditry career

I have never liked Swann either - he seems to be the main instigator of the clique and dressing room bullying that was reported....but he was also best mates with Jimmy Anderson and I hope if this was true Jimmy wasn’t involved.

I suppose it happens in most international teams with so many big egos and influential characters.

Unfortunately Jimmy is mentioned as being in the same Bullying clique with Swann & Broad. He doesn't have a lot of good to say about Matt Prior either

THEWELLERNUT70 wrote:Unfortunately Jimmy is mentioned as being in the same Bullying clique with Swann & Broad. He doesn't have a lot of good to say about Matt Prior either

Has KP said they were bullies?

Quickenthetempo wrote:Has KP said they were bullies?

In the documentary, yes

There was definitely talk of a clique amongst the bowlers who were allegedly in charge in the changing room. There were also comments around their attitudes to mistakes by fielders.

No idea how much truth there is in it though.

The stories about the likes of Broad,Prior,Swann and to a lesser extent Anderson have been around for a while. Can imagine it must have been very difficult for any young lads coming into the team to perform knowing if you dropped a catch you'd have the senior players on your back.

If you read Pietersen's book, he claims that the real problem in the dressing room was Prior (and to a significant extent management who failed to address the bullying culture in the squad). KP claims that he spent a lot of his time trying to protect younger players and players coming into the squad from Prior and his bullyboy mates.
In the book - as I recall, KP was at pains to point out that in general Anderson tried to distance himself from the "clique".
(It's a few years since I read it so I can't remember all the details).

That’s the same at any level of cricket in most teams to be honest. It’s not right but it used to be the norm to bully apprentices in most work places and it was seen as banter and becoming a man etc

Thankfully that’s all stopping now

Edit: in reply to jrgbfc

If I recall rightly I think KP went most heavily in on Broad. Saying players didnt want to field when he was bowling for his sulking and the abuse they would get.

Bowlers worldwide sulk when fielders drop catches or misfield.

He seems to have fallen out with a lot of people doesn't he?

Can't be any of his fault. Getting a bit of a theme to it.

I seem to recall a few of the fringe players at the time backing up KP version of events as well. The really tall bowler, think it was Chris Tremlett being one. If true there's no way Cook and Andy Flower should have been allowing it to happen on their watch.

I was in Eden Park, Auckland in 2013 watching Peter Fulton and Brendan McCullum smack our bowling all over place, chasing a declaration.

Eden Park is a massive rugby stadium and there was only a handful of people watching, so you could hear pretty much everything that was going on out in the field.

Monty Panesar misfielded a couple of times and was getting dogs abuse from Prior and Broad. Looked and sounded like bullying to me. No hint of control or reproach from captain Cook either.

Half an hour later Broad dropped an absolute dolly of a catch from McCullum off Anderson's bowling. Silence!
Not a word.

KP was many things but he wasn't wrong about the bullying in that team. It was only 8 months later that all came crashing down in Australia.

CopacabanaClaret wrote:I was in Eden Park, Auckland in 2013 watching Peter Fulton and Brendan McCullum smack our bowling all over place, chasing a declaration.

Eden Park is a massive rugby stadium and there was only a handful of people watching, so you could hear pretty much everything that was going on out in the field.

Monty Panesar misfielded a couple of times and was getting dogs abuse from Prior and Broad. Looked and sounded like bullying to me. No hint of control or reproach from captain Cook either.

Half an hour later Broad dropped an absolute dolly of a catch from McCullum off Anderson's bowling. Silence!
Not a word.

KP was many things but he wasn't wrong about the bullying in that team. It was only 8 months later that all came crashing down in Australia.

I would suggest that is common place in any team in any sport. They shout at the weak link thinking it will bring them up to standard.

Just watch what happens Saturday on the Turf with misplaced passes etc..

Senior players get an easy ride as they have proven themselves to the team.

Quickenthetempo wrote:I would suggest that is common place in any team in any sport. They shout at the weak link thinking it will bring them up to standard.

Just watch what happens Saturday on the Turf with misplaced passes etc..

Senior players get an easy ride as they have prover themselves to the team.

Yes but the problem is is that these players can be away from family and friends for 6 months with no proper support system in place. Luckily this type of behaviour is slowly being eradicated. Not just from sport but all walks of life

Despite all his faults, I didn’t think KP came out of it the worst..... that was Piers Morgan followed by Swann, who really did sound self centred and a proper stirrer. Actually thought Vaughan came out of this ok too, but normally agree with everybody else in so much as he’s a bit of a knob.

Brilliant documentary,just a bit mystified as to Flintoff not contributing to it all,was there a falling out between the two,new book out should be interesting,great cricketer, came across really well

Should have been sacked instantly once he messaged "his friends" in the South Africa dressing room.

When Pietersen was on League of their own,I am told that Freddie asked why he was on the same team as him,as they couldn't stand each other.

Not about Katie Price then

Stevie2112 wrote:When Pietersen was on League of their own,I am told that Freddie asked why he was on the same team as him,as they couldn't stand each other.

Not heard about that but they certainly didn’t get on.