Tweet and sour: KP in f-word web rant at England snub
DROPPED England batsman Kevin Pietersen reacted with a foul-mouthed Twitter rant yesterday after learning that he had lost his place in the one-day and Twenty20 sides.
Pietersen, who has also joined Surrey on loan for the rest of the season, revealed his snub in an angry tweet hours before the move was officially confirmed.
He wrote: “Yep.. Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. It’s a f*** up!!”
Pietersen hastily deleted his outburst, but not before it was posted to his more than 30,000 followers on the micro-blogging site.
England chiefs are thought to be disappointed by the 30-year-old’s judgement, and Pietersen later struck a more conciliatory tone in a statement. “While I’m naturally disappointed to have been omitted from the England squad, I fully understand the reasons why and will be doing everything I can to get back into the England team,” he said.
“I have no issue with the selectors omitting me from the limited-overs squads, and my sole focus now is working on my game ahead of an exciting winter.”
Pietersen helped England win the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in May but has laboured at the crease since then, scoring just one half-century all summer. He has also been frozen out by Hampshire since announcing his intention to leave, and will make his Surrey debut today in a Clydesdale Bank 40 clash with Worcestershire at the Oval.
He added: “I would also like to add my huge thanks to Surrey for giving me this opportunity – and I hope I can repay them with some runs.”