This article was first published in October 2005 in India Today and in the South African edition of the Wisden Cricket magazine

DRAMATIC IRONIES SURROUND THE PUGNACIOUS, PETULANT, and PHENOMENAL PIETERSEN

Irony and coincidence surrounded the drama as it unfolded on that fateful fifth afternoon of the just completed fifth Test of the Ashes series. Kevin Pietersen played a match saving and series-winning inning of 158. As he strode off to the tumultuous applause of an appreciative crowd, he had sealed his precarious position in the Test team and played himself into the hearts of the English forever.
My thoughts at that moment shifted to another South African who had played for England in the summer of 1968.He needed not only to succeed against the Aussie attack, but had to even beat off the conspirators at government levels in South Africa and England, who’d gone through great clandestine lengths to deny him a place in the team to travel to South Africa, no matter how well he performed. A dramatic irony and coincidence had just unfolded – for those who remembered.
Basil D’Oliveira too played the innings of his life. Before he strode on the following morning, not out on 20, to resume his inning, he had realised the magnitude of the occasion. The weight of burden was none too heavy, as he went out to bat for England, his dignity, and all of black South Africa. He told his wife Naomi before leaving for The Oval cricket ground: “ send the kids out to play and stay watching the telly, I am going to get a hundred.” He did. He scored 158 and was a certainty to make the squad bound for South Africa during the English winter.
When he did eventually make the touring party, the South African government refused him entry, England cancelled the tour and South Africa began its long banishment from the international game.
There is a contrast too between the two South Africans from different epochs. Basil was quiet, dignified and humble. Pietersen is a brash and self-centred individual who doesn’t care for the dignity and sensitivity of others.
At most times one admires a fellow being when he or she speaks his or her mind. Kevin Pietersen is one such person. The problem is he speaks before he thinks. The Natal born naturalised Englishman has taken English cricket by storm with his strong and sometimes audacious batting style.
Much is being said about his BMT (big match temperament), including a Talk Radio host, John Robbie a former Irish Rugby international writing in a column in the Saturday Star weekly column. Very little I am afraid is said of his big mouth. His continuous and contemptuous insults toward South Africa, his racist opinions about the transformation policy, hasn’t endeared him to right thinking South Africans – but more about that later.
One has to admire his phenomenal rise from an average off-spin bowler-who-can-bat, to a star on the world stage. Focused and with total determination, he grabbed the opportunity to play at international level, where very few have made instant impact. The modern dearth of limited overs cricket provides added incentives and opportunities for specialist in the instant game. For Pietersen, his pugnacious style suited the requirements and the results catapulted him into the Test line-up as well.
Early this year he scored three stunning centuries against South Africa in the limited over matches, won the man-of-the-series award and thus ushered his arrival and his eventual call-up to the England Test camp was a formality. It is no doubt that he played his hand, pardon the pun (he dropped five catches in the just completed Ashes series) in England reclaiming the Ashes after 18 years, with a watershed innings in the final Test to ensure a drawn Test and a series win.
D ‘Oliveira (Dolly) rise was even more phenomenal. From the back streets of Cape Town, and after scoring tons of runs and a bucket load of wickets, he went to England, qualified after four seasons of county cricket and represented his adopted country with pride, passion and dignity. His humility under the strain of the conspiracy to oust him from the squad was the catalyst in him being awarded the OBE and so many accolades.
Five seasons ago Pietersen turned his back on the country of his birth under a cloud, later claiming in England that the quota system had denied him a chance to play at the top level. He told Natal he sought better opportunities in England. A closer look into the facts reveals a petulant character and spoiled kid, who only wanted things his way.
He was a gentle off spinner who batted in the lower order, and had on occasion hit the ball a great distance. He was part of the KZN academy since he was sixteen. Progressed to the UCB academy, where tens of thousands of Rand are invested in individuals. He toured Australia in a pre-season warm up with the Natal team and on his arrival shocked the board when he announced his intentions to play in England. The union had just spent over R30 000 on the individual!
By contrast, Dollys dream to play in England would never have been realised had it not been for friends from Cape Town and other parts of the country contributing money towards his plane fare.
On Robbie’s morning drive show, after the memorable parade through London, Pietersen used the opportunity again to slate the game and its administrators in South Africa. He criticized the cricket situation as ‘ridiculous’ and used the word ‘rubbish’ on more than one occasion and ended by stating that: “ you could do well on the day and be dropped the next because of the colour of your skin.”
That’s utter rubbish. Someone needs to remind him of the over hundred years of subjugation suffered by black, coloured and Indian sportsman and more particularly cricketers. Has he ever bothered to read into the history of our cricket? I wonder.
The quota system was the reason for leaving this country he had said after arriving in England in 2000. But had never given the system a chance. Why is it that if he was unhappy did no one advice him (if he took advise, that is) to play in any of the other ten provinces? It is clear that money was the fundamental factor for his decision to quit and cunningly chose to blame the quota system instead. Facts also prove that his coaches whilst he played for KZN, was Graham Ford and Englishman Phil Russell – both white men!
His deceit and dishonesty continues and he is without doubt placed himself as a saviour for like minded South Africans who have not and do not want to accept the inevitable – that every South African will share all the resources of the new democratic order and toil to make this a nation of winners.
I know most of us, and that is all South Africans are happy that Pietersen is playing for England. Who needs his type anyway?
There is one more coincidence in this whole fascinating story of Pietersen’s celebration after his performance and the resultant calamity after Dollys ton!
Pietersen was dropped thrice! Once by Shane Warne when still on 19. Dolly was dropped by wicketkeeper Barry Jarman when on 31 and the great writer E W Swanton wrote that: “that was the most fateful drop in cricket history!”
Pietersen is in a serious need of a strong, very strong spin-doctor (pardon this pun) to protect and save his charge from embarrassing those close to him and keeping South Africans from getting further agitated. It is after all the game we know, that is the greatest leveller.