KP, as he is commonly referred to, could easily be described as cricket’s modern day maverick. The South African born and bred England batsman’s career has been beset by controversies throughout; several of his own making. At a towering 6 feet 4 inches and with a physique most would have to slave off in the gym for, Pietersen resembles Adonis.
The supremely talented cricketer’s career however fits more into the role of a tragic hero. One who seems to be destined for greatness but whose downfall is the result of a tragic flaw - excessive pride.
It was this pride that led Pietersen to believe he was indispensable and it was this very pride that made him feel his teammates were conspiring against him. Rumblings of his troubles began during the IPL when as the only frontline England player to participate; KP began to make statements indicating the English were jealous of the tournament’s success. Soon after, he stepped down from limited overs internationals. Though his official excuse was ‘too much cricket’, the real reason turned out to be a desire to be excused from England’s commitments when the IPL was on. What followed was a full blown feature film-like drama that included a spoof Twitter account, text messages from KP to South African players ridiculing his captain and teammates, a high on emotion press conference and a YouTube video apology.
The high-maintenance KP was dropped for the final Test against the Proteas that saw England lose their No 1 ranking. Though he reversed his retirement decision, Pietersen went on to miss out on the subsequent ODIs and the ICC World T20. A truce between the ECB and KP was finally achieved and the controversial cricketer made his way back into the side for the tour of India.