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London: Kevin Pietersen’s monopoly of the airwaves and printed media regarding his claims of bullying in the England cricket team’s dressing room ended abruptly on Tuesday with the leaking of an email outlining his poor behaviour on last year’s disastrous Ashes series in Australia. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) insisted the email website Cricinfo had received was not the official dossier compiled by former coach Andy Flower, who has like many others not escaped the wrath of Pietersen in his book.
The ECB said it was an internal email draft drawn up by their lawyers — marked strictly privileged and confidential. Neverthless it will not make pleasant reading for the South African-born batsman but will delight those who like former England spinner Graeme Swann and wicketkeeper Matt Prior have been lambasted by Pietersen. However, Pietersen brushed off the email’s contents which included captain Alastair Cook’s first name being misspelt in one instance. “I heard about it in the car earlier. It is embarrassing,” said Pietersen, who in a rollercoaster career was also sacked as England skipper. “They couldn’t even spell Cooky’s name right. It is a joke. I am done with it. “It is so embarrassing I don’t want to give it any thought. I am just getting on with my life.” Pietersen’s claims that an atmosphere of bullying existed in the dressingroom is undermined by one of the observations in the email. “At the end of the First Test, KP (Pietersen) was awarded a present by the team in recognition of 100th Test (as is customary). During his acceptance speech KP stated that ‘this is the best England dressing room environment that I have ever experienced’,” reads the email. Pietersen’s claim of younger players being hectored and bullied by the bowlers in particular if they were deemed guilty of dropping catches or sloppy fielding also appears to include him in the list of those abusing them according to the email. “After playing a terrible shot to get out in one of his innings in the Fourth Test, KP returned to the England dressing room and in front of the younger England players, shouted “you lot are a bunch of useless c***s”,” reads the report. His antipathy towards Swann, who controversially retired after the third Test with England 3-0 down, and disregard for Alastair Cook’s captaincy are also laid bare in incidents that apparently took place ahead of the fifth and final Test. “KP stated that AC (Cook) was weak, tactically inept and that AC’s latest effort to galvanise the team was ‘pathetic’. “KP ranted, saying GS is a ‘c***’,” cites the email. His poor attitude is also remarked upon following his dismissal in the final innings of the fifth Test. “Following KP’s second innings dismissal, KP whistled casually on his way back to the pavilion, before coming into the dressing room. “After the game was lost, KP walked out of the dressing room, saying ‘I don’t give a f***’.”
