Latest news with #KevinPietersen
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
England great unloads on ‘very strange' Aussie cricketer
England cricket legend Kevin Pietersen has fired an early warning shot ahead of this summer's Ashes series in Australia. After watching Australia's batters struggle in the recent World Test Championship final against South Africa, Pietersen believes England bowlers will have little to fear when the Ashes begins in WA in November. Among other criticisms, Pietersen said the demise of 30-year-old Marnus Labuschagne was 'very strange' and he said allrounder Cameron Green should not be coming in at No.3 'The batting is not what the batting used to be. Apart from Steve Smith,' Pietersen said. 'I've not seen anything here that would worry me. Not seen it at all. 'I don't know what has happened to Marnus the last couple of years. Kevin Pietersen says Marnus Labuschagne's form woes are 'very strange'. Credit: Getty 'He just won't hit the ball. It's very strange to see.' Pietersen also put the spotlight on Green, who made 4 and a duck against South Africa. 'Cameron Green is not a No.3,' Pietersen said. Not only are there form concerns, Australia's top line-up is ageing. Usman Khawaja is 38 and will turn 39 this December, Steve Smith is 36, Mitchell Starc is 35, Nathan Lyon will be 38 in November and Pat Cummins is 32. Even Beau Webster, who made his Test debut in January this year, will be 32 in December. The team is starting to look like Dad's Army but Pietersen was prepared to cut the veteran stars some slack, and backed in the bowlers. 'Smith is a different level, a modern great,' he said. He also thought Khawaja was certainly good for another Ashes campaign. 'Uzzie is what Uzzie is. He has a good record,' Pietersen said. 'Beau Webster, I've seen better batters than him from what I've seen here. And I've only seen him here and it would probably be hard for me to forge an opinion just on what I've seen here because the ball has actually done quite a bit. 'But just technique ... if I was an English bowler, I would fancy my chances against this batting line-up. 'Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, Scotty Boland, there's some proper bowling, but as an England bowler (I wouldn't be worried). 'I'd be saying I'd rather be a bowler this Ashes series.' Labuschagne is expected to be dropped for the Test against the West Indies but he could return to the team for the Ashes. Australian coach Andrew McDonald is certainly not ruling him out despite the fact he has a century drought that is almost 24 months long. 'He's a big part of the future of the team,' McDonald said. 'Anyone that averages (46.19) in Test cricket at that age (30) is important. 'We've got older players there that are closer to the end than the start. 'If he can get his game in good order for the next four or five years, he can underpin that batting order, but at the moment, he'd be disappointed with the returns. 'We're confident that he could return to his best, hence why we keep picking him, and it's at what point do we stop picking him? 'There's no harder worker than Marnus, and now it's really just about the returns.' - With AAP
The South African
5 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Kevin Pietersen praises Proteas win, criticised for playing abroad
South African-born cricketer Kevin Pietersen has praised the Proteas for their historic win at the World Test Championship on Saturday, 14 June. The national cricket team – led by captain Temba Bavuma – defeated Australia by five wickets in the final at Lord's in London. Kevin left SA at the age of 19 over his disdain for racial quotas in local cricket.. After four years of residency, he qualified to play for England, where he eventually became captain of the national team. In several X posts, former South African cricketer Kevin Pietersen praised the Proteas for winning the WTC for the first time. He jokingly added: 'There won't be another country on the planet that wakes up with more hangovers than South Africa. It'll be BABALAS central! Kevin Pietersen's X posts about the national team – noticeably omitting the Proteas' first black test match captain, Temba Bavuma, whose 'racial quotas' appointment criticism has had many eating their words – left many South Africans annoyed. Others brought up his decision to play for England over South Africa. Did you play for England or South Africa? I forget. — 𝑪 𝑹 𝑼 𝑪 𝑬 𝑺 𝑰 𝑮 𝑵 𝑨 𝑻 𝑰 (@crucesignatiDL) June 15, 2025 Kevin Petersen was born in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal in 1980. He attended the Maritzburg College and was later selected to play for Natal's B team in 1997 at the age of 17 However, in his 2007 autobiography Crossing The Boundary, Kevin revealed the real reason he left SA. An extract of the book, as published by DailyMail, reads: 'I was dropped because the quota system was brought into South African cricket to positively discriminate in favour of 'players of colour' and to fast-track the racial integration of cricket in the country. Cricketer Kevin Pietersen was born in South via Instagram: @kevinpietersen He continued: 'To me, every single person in this world needs to be treated exactly the same. And that should have included me as a promising 20-year-old cricketer. If you do well, you should play on merit. That goes for any person of any colour. It was heartbreaking. Despite feeling forced to leave his homeland, Kevin added that 'it turned out it was the best thing that could have happened.' Kevin Pietersen's family—including three siblings—still lives in SA, even though he considers England 'home.' His mother, Penny, told the Mirror that she was disappointed at the 'hostile reception' from South Africans toward her son in his early playing days. She said, 'That's sad. People should be happy for someone else's success. 'Kevin took the initiative and had the courage to go overseas and realise his dream. And that's something you can't take away from him.'
News18
6 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Pietersen Hails Markram For WTC Heroics: 'Best Innings Any South African'
Last Updated: Kevin Pietersen praised Aiden Markram's century against Australia in the World Test Championship final as the finest by a South African. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen hailed Proteas opener Aiden Markram's century against Australia in the World Test Championship final as the finest innings ever played by a South African batter in Test cricket. Markram's 136 from 207 balls propelled South Africa to a five-wicket victory, ending a 27-year drought for an ICC trophy. Markram made his test debut at age 22, heartbreakingly run out on 97, and has since scored eight centuries and 13 fifties. But his average of 36.50 has been below expectations. He came into the WTC final without a century in his last 16 test knocks and failed to get on the board in the first innings. Markram's knock at Lord's took the country to their first major cricketing triumph after decades of failure and ensured Markram a place in South African sporting folklore. Pietersen, speaking as a JioStar expert, said, 'Probably the best innings any South African batter has ever played in Test match cricket. It might not be the most attacking or entertaining in South Africa's Test history, but considering the expectation, the stage, and the pressure after failing in the first innings, it was extraordinary. Whether you're a batter or a bowler, the pressure to deliver when your country is counting on you is immense." He highlighted Markram's resilience despite the early loss of Ryan Rickelton. 'He still went on to produce something truly magnificent. It's hard to even describe the kind of pressure he was under," added Pietersen, who has South African roots. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, whose nine-wicket haul contributed significantly to the win, lauded Markram as a 'big-match player'. He said, 'Aiden is a big-match player. The way he held his ground with such resolve was remarkable. His presence, the way he dominated his space, and stuck to his game plan without wavering was brilliant." Rabada admired Markram's concentration. 'You still had to bat really well on that pitch — it wasn't one where you could afford to be loose. They set off-side and leg-side traps, but he navigated all of it throughout his innings." (With inputs from PTI) First Published: June 14, 2025, 23:17 IST
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden leaves fans in shock with his bizarre fashion sense
Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden was a talking point at Lord's during the World Test Championship - and it had nothing to do with his commentary. Hayden, 53, rocked his trademark Stetson hat when Pat Cummins ' men took on South Africa on day one of the World Test Championship final on Wednesday. The decorated batsman - who is yet to comment publicly about the piece of attire he proudly dons on his head - was ridiculed on social media in images showing him alongside Proteas great Hashim Amla and former English star Kevin Pietersen. 'What is Haydos wearing,' asked one fan on Instagram. 'Is Haydos from Texas,' joked another. The popular Facebook page Cricket Related Simpson Quotes also poked fun at Hayden, suggesting he was sporting a hidden camera under the novelty-sized hat. Meanwhile, Hayden was one of seven global stars recently inducted to the ICC Hall of Fame following his glittering career for Australia between 1993 and 2009. With 30 Test centuries and a batting average of 50.73, Hayden's outstanding numbers in the traditional format of the game speak for themselves. The left-hander was just as adept in the 50-over game, with Hayden smashing three centuries alone at the 2007 edition of the ICC men's Cricket World Cup to finish the tournament as the leading run-scorer. It was the second of two World Cup titles Hayden helped Australia win. Hayden was thrilled to receive the induction. 'The ICC Hall of Fame includes many of my heroes of yesteryear as well as contemporaries whom I admired and enjoyed competing against,' he said. 'Each of these players gave something to the game in their own way. It is incredible to be recognised along with them.' His daughter Grace also took to Facebook to toast the achievement. 'To say I'm proud would be understatement,' her post began. 'But the man I knew was just my Dad. The big soft teddy bear that gave every part of himself to his family.
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Marnus Labuschagne's ‘frustrating' first day on the job leaves Pat Cummins with a headache
Marnus Labuschagne's future at Test level could be hanging by a thread. As Australia marched into the World Test Championship final this week at Lord's, the spotlight turned a little sharper onto the Queenslander's recent output. Especially after skipper Pat Cummins opted to send him in to face the new ball while desperate for runs. Labuschagne has averaged just 28.33 across the two-year WTC cycle. It's a far cry from the prolific heights he once occupied, and now calls to axe him are slowly amplifying. His experience at No. 3 made it a somewhat logical selection for Pat Cummins to promote him to opener heading to Lord's. His ability to occupy the crease are, on paper, a captain's dream when looking for an opener. To his credit, he did a job, of sorts, on Wednesday. Surviving 18 overs of probing swing under moody skies at Lord's isn't a cakewalk. But it wasn't exactly reassuring for selectors looking to the future. His lack of momentum sparked criticism from the commentary box, as 20 consecutive dot balls sapped the momentum from Australia's innings early on. 'It's quite frustrating to watch,' said former England batsman and Aussie arch-nemesis Kevin Pietersen in commentary. 'He has the ability to hit the ball.' Even his own captain seemed to gently nudge him toward a more proactive mindset. 'We love when (openers) are busy and they're putting pressure back on the bowlers,' Cummins said. 'That's our message here to Marnus... There's runs to be scored there.' South African skipper Temba Bavuma also threw a veiled swipe before play this week, suggesting his strike team of seamers could capitalise on the 'opportunity' of having Marnus in a new position while in a slump. 'I think there is an opportunity there,' Bavuma said. 'I think the conditions as well, I believe, bring us into the game a lot. With the swinging ball, (it's) very different to Australian conditions. Different to South African conditions as well, so that definitely gives us an opportunity.' Towering left-arm quick Marco Jansen took that opportunity just as Labuschagne appeared to get over the initial hurdle, snagging his outside edge and sending him on his way for 17. Former captain and Marnus' good mate Steve Smith backed up Marnus in front of the press after day one, declaring that he 'looked really sharp'. That was echoed by former South African superstar AB de Villiers, who suggested the 30-year-old actually looked to be 'in form'. 'I thought he started pretty well today. He looked really sharp in his movements. He left really nicely. He was solid in defence and he played some really good shots,' Smith said. 'So I think it would have been nice (for him) to have gone on and made a few more, as it would have been for all of us out there, but I think we can take some positives on the way he was moving and the way he was playing.'
