Kevin Pietersen’s relationship with his England team-mates has worsened because of an hilarious spoof Twitter account.
The star batsman believes somebody in the dressing room might be responsible for posts mocking him.
It is one of the reasons that Pietersen has threatened to quit after next week’s crucial Investec Third Test against South Africa at Lord’s.
The Twitter account @KevPietersen24 is called KP Genius.
It claims to be written by Pietersen and speaks of his brilliance at cricket and other things in life.
A typical recent post is: “There’s 3 things guaranteed in life. Death, Taxes & KP genius.”
Another entry on the fake account read: “We’ve lost 5 Tests this year and to be honest, KP doesn’t want to be associated with a team full of losers. Read into that what you will.”
Pietersen’s team-mates love reading the posts.
But it seems the man himself does not see the funny side — partly because he is worried that some people could believe it really is written by him.
Following his Man of the Match award for a brilliant innings of 149 and four wickets in the drawn Second Test at Headingley, Pietersen hinted at tensions in the England dressing room.
The South African-born star also accused the ECB of leaking details of a private meeting about his international future.
KP, 32, then made the extraordinary claim that ‘being me in this dressing room and playing for England is tough’.
That comment left his team-mates baffled and upset because the England squad prides itself on unity and the idea that no man is bigger than the team. The players also sniggered with disbelief after Pietersen insisted the current wrangle is ‘100 per cent not about money’.
England are unlikely to omit him from the Third Test but head coach Andy Flower is again angry that Pietersen is a big distraction before a match England must win to retain their No 1 status in the world Test rankings. The draw at Leeds left skipper Andrew Strauss’ side still 1-0 down in the three-Test series against South Africa.
As much as anything, the England hierarchy are baffled by Pietersen’s sabre-rattling because he has already lost £200,000 in four months by retiring from 50-over inter- national cricket.
KP must now decide whether to sign a new Test contract next month or become a globe-trotting Twenty20 gun for hire.
The official ECB line is that channels of negotiation are still open, which means they have not given up hope that Pietersen’s stance will soften.
But Flower and England managing director Hugh Morris will continue to hold Pietersen to his current contract, which states that players cannot pick and choose which matches they are prepared to play.
Surrey took on the maverick in 2010 only as a favour to the ECB when he wanted to quit Hampshire and play for a London-based county.
But that deal is dependent on him staying a centrally-contracted player with England. So if he quits England, he may also find himself without a county.
The star batsman believes somebody in the dressing room might be responsible for posts mocking him.
It is one of the reasons that Pietersen has threatened to quit after next week’s crucial Investec Third Test against South Africa at Lord’s.
The Twitter account @KevPietersen24 is called KP Genius.
A typical recent post is: “There’s 3 things guaranteed in life. Death, Taxes & KP genius.”
Another entry on the fake account read: “We’ve lost 5 Tests this year and to be honest, KP doesn’t want to be associated with a team full of losers. Read into that what you will.”
Pietersen’s team-mates love reading the posts.
But it seems the man himself does not see the funny side — partly because he is worried that some people could believe it really is written by him.
Following his Man of the Match award for a brilliant innings of 149 and four wickets in the drawn Second Test at Headingley, Pietersen hinted at tensions in the England dressing room.
The South African-born star also accused the ECB of leaking details of a private meeting about his international future.
KP, 32, then made the extraordinary claim that ‘being me in this dressing room and playing for England is tough’.
That comment left his team-mates baffled and upset because the England squad prides itself on unity and the idea that no man is bigger than the team. The players also sniggered with disbelief after Pietersen insisted the current wrangle is ‘100 per cent not about money’.
England are unlikely to omit him from the Third Test but head coach Andy Flower is again angry that Pietersen is a big distraction before a match England must win to retain their No 1 status in the world Test rankings. The draw at Leeds left skipper Andrew Strauss’ side still 1-0 down in the three-Test series against South Africa.
As much as anything, the England hierarchy are baffled by Pietersen’s sabre-rattling because he has already lost £200,000 in four months by retiring from 50-over inter- national cricket.
KP must now decide whether to sign a new Test contract next month or become a globe-trotting Twenty20 gun for hire.
The official ECB line is that channels of negotiation are still open, which means they have not given up hope that Pietersen’s stance will soften.
But Flower and England managing director Hugh Morris will continue to hold Pietersen to his current contract, which states that players cannot pick and choose which matches they are prepared to play.
Surrey took on the maverick in 2010 only as a favour to the ECB when he wanted to quit Hampshire and play for a London-based county.
But that deal is dependent on him staying a centrally-contracted player with England. So if he quits England, he may also find himself without a county.
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