Petulant Kevin Pietersen Told to Start Setting the Right Example
The IPL chairman, Lalit Modi, has told Kevin Pietersen to abide by the spirit of the game after he was found guilty of dissent
Kevin Pietersen last night found himself the unwelcome subject of a plea to uphold the spirit of the game from Lalit Modi, the Indian Premier League chairman, after he was found guilty of dissent during Monday's defeat to Chennai Super Kings in Port Elizabeth.
Pietersen, the captain of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, was unhappy after being given out lbw first ball to Muttiah Muralitharan and later claimed he had "got a little nick". But league officials reacted quickly, issuing the England batsman with a "severe warning" for his display of petulance and making an example of him ahead of Bangalore's game against the Deccan Chargers today in Cape Town.
"Every incident in the IPL is being closely monitored and appropriate action being dispensed almost immediately," said Modi. "We have a zero-tolerance policy on player indiscipline and will take all necessary steps to ensure the game is played in the true spirit of cricket.
"Cricketers need to realize – and quickly – that they are huge role models for an entire generation of youth and it is crucial for youngsters all over the world to learn straight away the values of this great game and the spirit in which it should be played. The eyes of the world are on the IPL and we want to see cricket at its best."
Pietersen's irritable reaction to Simon Taufel's decision was relatively muted in an era when batsmen regularly stand their ground and worse, but the IPL is determined not to sever all ties with tradition and – as last year – has made big play of its adoption of MCC's Spirit of Cricket doctrine. On Saturday, the eight franchise captains, Pietersen among them, lined up to the sign the MCC pledge. Defeated on Monday, he may feel chastened this morning.
As recently as a year ago, Pietersen's rebuke might have been interpreted as another nail in the coffin of Anglo-Indian relations, but Modi said Pietersen and Chennai's Andrew Flintoff would be welcomed back with open arms if their franchises were to reach the semi-finals. "We would all like to hope they can make it back and we will try to work it out," he said. "But at the end of the day it's a decision between them and the ECB."
England's fixtures, though, make that next to impossible: the IPL semi-finals are on 22-23 May, with the final a day later. But England play one-day internationals against West Indies on 21 and 24 May and benificence beyond the call of duty is unlikely to be extended by the ECB to the Twenty20 league.
Even so, Modi when he is not running multimillion dollar leagues has been keen to stress the improved nature of relations between English and Indian authorities and even suggested the ECB could assume a financial stake in the Twenty20 Champions League, until now a cash cow only for India, Australia and South Africa.
"The matter is open," he said. "Anything can change and it's not a closed subject at all. The idea is we want to build the league up. The ECB and the BCCI had a rocky start because everyone is wary at the beginning or protecting their own territory, but we have a good relationship with them now and we hope to build on it going forward."
Modi's plans for the IPL remain grandiose. "Who would've thought a domestic tournament could get another country excited like this?" he said. "We hope these teams become global brands like Manchester United and Arsenal."
Yesterday's action engendered less optimism. Ravi Bopara was the only Englishman in action on a rainy day in Durban, but he could manage just 15 at a run a ball for Kings XI Punjab in a Duckworth/Lewis-assisted defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders. The second match, between Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, did not even make a start.
Pietersen, the captain of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, was unhappy after being given out lbw first ball to Muttiah Muralitharan and later claimed he had "got a little nick". But league officials reacted quickly, issuing the England batsman with a "severe warning" for his display of petulance and making an example of him ahead of Bangalore's game against the Deccan Chargers today in Cape Town.
"Every incident in the IPL is being closely monitored and appropriate action being dispensed almost immediately," said Modi. "We have a zero-tolerance policy on player indiscipline and will take all necessary steps to ensure the game is played in the true spirit of cricket.
"Cricketers need to realize – and quickly – that they are huge role models for an entire generation of youth and it is crucial for youngsters all over the world to learn straight away the values of this great game and the spirit in which it should be played. The eyes of the world are on the IPL and we want to see cricket at its best."
Pietersen's irritable reaction to Simon Taufel's decision was relatively muted in an era when batsmen regularly stand their ground and worse, but the IPL is determined not to sever all ties with tradition and – as last year – has made big play of its adoption of MCC's Spirit of Cricket doctrine. On Saturday, the eight franchise captains, Pietersen among them, lined up to the sign the MCC pledge. Defeated on Monday, he may feel chastened this morning.
As recently as a year ago, Pietersen's rebuke might have been interpreted as another nail in the coffin of Anglo-Indian relations, but Modi said Pietersen and Chennai's Andrew Flintoff would be welcomed back with open arms if their franchises were to reach the semi-finals. "We would all like to hope they can make it back and we will try to work it out," he said. "But at the end of the day it's a decision between them and the ECB."
England's fixtures, though, make that next to impossible: the IPL semi-finals are on 22-23 May, with the final a day later. But England play one-day internationals against West Indies on 21 and 24 May and benificence beyond the call of duty is unlikely to be extended by the ECB to the Twenty20 league.
Even so, Modi when he is not running multimillion dollar leagues has been keen to stress the improved nature of relations between English and Indian authorities and even suggested the ECB could assume a financial stake in the Twenty20 Champions League, until now a cash cow only for India, Australia and South Africa.
"The matter is open," he said. "Anything can change and it's not a closed subject at all. The idea is we want to build the league up. The ECB and the BCCI had a rocky start because everyone is wary at the beginning or protecting their own territory, but we have a good relationship with them now and we hope to build on it going forward."
Modi's plans for the IPL remain grandiose. "Who would've thought a domestic tournament could get another country excited like this?" he said. "We hope these teams become global brands like Manchester United and Arsenal."
Yesterday's action engendered less optimism. Ravi Bopara was the only Englishman in action on a rainy day in Durban, but he could manage just 15 at a run a ball for Kings XI Punjab in a Duckworth/Lewis-assisted defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders. The second match, between Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians, did not even make a start.
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