DUBAI // Alastair Cook is expecting a few changes in English cricket in the coming months after their dismal World Cup performance, but the Test team captain does not believe that will include an international recall for Kevin Pietersen.
Unimaginable just a few months ago, especially after the release of his autobiography in which he slated his teammates, coaches and management, talk of Pietersen’s return has been gaining currency over the past week following England’s disappointing cricket World Cup exit in Australia and New Zealand, where they won only two of their six group matches – against Scotland and Afghanistan.
Pietersen was sacked in February last year following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia amid reports suggesting he was a disruptive influence in the dressing room.
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The highest run-scorer for England across all forms of cricket combined, Pietersen attempted to counter those claims and present his side of the story in his book KP: The Autobiography.
Cook, however, believes Pietersen has burnt too many bridges with the words in those pages to return to the England fold – even if he scores prolifically in county cricket this summer.
“I think it is very unlikely,” said Cook, who will lead the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) team in the Emirates Twenty20 tournament here Friday and the four-day Champion County match in Abu Dhabi starting Sunday.
“I think so, yeah. There’s been a hell of a lot of stuff happened with his book and all that kind of stuff. So it’s a very long way back from there.”
The new England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves has said Pietersen could return if he committed his time to scoring runs in English domestic cricket. Pietersen says he is determined to take up that challenge with six counties having already confirmed their interest in signing him up.
Cook, however, is confident of winning back the fans and bringing the feel-good factor back to English cricket without the South Africa-born batsman.
“We’ve always had fantastic support, but obviously what’s happened over this winter, in terms of one-day cricket, the fans will be feeling disappointed,” said Cook, who will be leading England to the West Indies next month for a three-Test series.
“There’s a bit of doom and gloom about English cricket. We’ve got responsibility now as a Test side to try and change that, we’ve got a repair job to do and the only way to do it is by playing some good cricket and start winning again.”
Off the field, Cook is expecting some changes, though he has backed under-fire coach Peter Moores – one of many to come under a scathing attack from Pietersen’s pen in his book – to keep his job.
“I think we would be very naive to think, with our system especially on the domestic side, and even on the international side, is working to its full potential,” he said.
“So I genuinely believe there has to be some changes, but the changes need to be very carefully thought about.
“We got a chance now with a new chairman and new chief executive at the ECB, they are going to come with fresh ideas. But let’s not just totally slag off English cricket because of one bad, six weeks at the World Cup.
“We’ve produced cricketers of fantastic skills and performance for a number of years, so let’s not totally discredit the system.
“But, yes, I genuinely believe there will be changes – franchise Twenty20 or changing our county cricket will happen at some stage.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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