Nasser Hussain said there was “no way back” for Kevin Pietersen after England’s all-time leading run-scorer launched his autobiography with blistering attacks on wicketkeeper Matt Prior and former coach Andy Flower.
The South Africa-born batsman, axed by England earlier this year after the team’s 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia, claimed there had been a “bullying” culture under Flower, but saved his most stinging criticism for Prior, whom he accused of being a “bad influence”.
Pietersen made the accusations in an explosive interview with British newspaper the Daily Telegraph published on Monday, ahead of the release of his autobiography on Thursday. He claimed Prior was the ringleader of a group including senior bowlers Graeme Swann, now retired, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, who would lay into their team-mates for dropping catches.
Former England captain Hussain said he had some sympathy for Pietersen’s views, telling Sky Sports: “It really tells you a lot about team spirit … always there when you’re winning but always fades away when you’re losing. “A lot of the stuff I’ve read (from Kevin) this afternoon, I’ve nodded at and agreed with … about shouting at players in the outfield. Team spirit is about respect …what happened in the end was that the respect had gone, between Kevin and his team-mates.
‘Wheels come off’
“Once you lose that respect, and then start losing games of cricket, I’m afraid the wheels can only come off,” added Hussain, who played his last Test in 2004 — the year before Pietersen made his Test debut.
Pietersen insisted he had not given up hope of playing for England again but Hussain said he could not see how a return was possible, given Pietersen’s outspoken comments about the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and lack of recent form.
“Some of the stuff he writes in this book, I can’t see any way back for him,” Hussain said. “The best way to answer his critics, and pile the pressure on Cook and the ECB was to go out there and smash hundreds for Surrey … he never did that, and is letting his book do the talking instead of his batting.
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