‘Talks with Kevin will end Eng rift’
17 Oct 2012 7:26 AM IST
England bowler Stuart Broad believes his international team-mates are ready to end their rift with Kevin Pietersen after agreeing to peace talks with the controversial batsman.
Pietersen was sent into exile during the Test series against South Africa after sending provocative text messages to the opposition that contained criticism of then England captain Andrew Strauss.
The 32-year-old was dropped for the final Test and has since been left out of the one-day series against South Africa and then World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka. But Pietersen has now apologised for his behaviour and recently signed a new central contract with England after agreeing to enter a ‘re-integration’ process.
The next step in bringing Pietersen in from the cold will be a meeting with his England teammates and coach Andy Flower. Flower and several of England senior stars were believed to be furious with Pietersen's actions in recent months, but there has been a softening of that attitude and Broad is hopeful the talks will aid the Surrey batsman's return in time for the forthcoming tours to India and New Zealand. ‘It's in the management's hands. Of course [we'd welcome him back]. We've had some amazing success with KP as a team,’ Broad said on Tuesday.
‘I've been in the side six years, we’ve won two Ashes and a T20 World Cup and we know that KP is a really dangerous player for us. There's not a better man in charge than Andy Flower to put the situation right. Whether it's for [the tour of] India or New Zealand, the team will welcome him back. The only way to move forward is to talk about things. There will be a meeting with some of the hierarchy and we just need to lay some things out,’ he added.
Pietersen was sent into exile during the Test series against South Africa after sending provocative text messages to the opposition that contained criticism of then England captain Andrew Strauss.
The 32-year-old was dropped for the final Test and has since been left out of the one-day series against South Africa and then World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka. But Pietersen has now apologised for his behaviour and recently signed a new central contract with England after agreeing to enter a ‘re-integration’ process.
The next step in bringing Pietersen in from the cold will be a meeting with his England teammates and coach Andy Flower. Flower and several of England senior stars were believed to be furious with Pietersen's actions in recent months, but there has been a softening of that attitude and Broad is hopeful the talks will aid the Surrey batsman's return in time for the forthcoming tours to India and New Zealand. ‘It's in the management's hands. Of course [we'd welcome him back]. We've had some amazing success with KP as a team,’ Broad said on Tuesday.
‘I've been in the side six years, we’ve won two Ashes and a T20 World Cup and we know that KP is a really dangerous player for us. There's not a better man in charge than Andy Flower to put the situation right. Whether it's for [the tour of] India or New Zealand, the team will welcome him back. The only way to move forward is to talk about things. There will be a meeting with some of the hierarchy and we just need to lay some things out,’ he added.
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