ENGLAND coach Andy Flower has condemned South Africa’s crowds for their booing of Kevin Pietersen, saying it is time they gave the batsman the respect he deserves.
As Pietersen struggles to find his best form after his four-month lay-off with an Achilles tendon injury, the fans here continue to bait him over his decision to quit his home country and qualify for England.
In the early games, the jeers and boos were like those aimed at a pantomime villain but on Sunday at Port Elizabeth the reception Pietersen received as he walked out to bat took on a harder edge.
Flower said: “It is really disappointing to hear them booing a great cricketer walking out to compete for his country. That is sad.
“He is used to that sort of reaction and I don’t think it affects him, but I really don’t like hearing the boos, just as I didn’t when Ricky Ponting walked out to bat in England last summer.”
England think the less Pietersen says on the subject the better and blocked any interviews as he flew into his home town of Durban, where England play the final ODI on Friday. He certainly did not look too perturbed as he was joined by pregnant wife Jessica for this leg of the tour.
Five years ago when he first returned to South Africa as an England player, he was branded “a traitor” by the more volatile fans and given a hostile reception.
This time, he expected a smoother ride and said when he joined the tour three weeks ago: “I have been back here for the Twenty20 World Cup and the IPL since then and I have had a fantastic response, I think I have their respect because of the good cricket I have played in the last five years.” Curiously, while Pietersen continues to attract the abuse, Jonathan Trott, England’s latest South African recruit, has attracted little interest apart from the number of runs he is scoring.
That is something Pietersen has failed to do, making just 85 runs from his five one-day knocks so far, but Flower is confident there is no crisis of confidence for the team’s most destructive batsman.
“I thought he might be a little rusty.four months is a long time off when you are used to playing all the time,” said Flower. “It will take him a while to get back into it and we have to be patient.
“He is a high achiever and is impatient, but he is working hard and he will come right, I have no doubt.”
One person who will soon be on hand to offer Pietersen advice is Graham Gooch, the former England captain and opener, who is linking up with the squad at the weekend to help out with the coaching in the build-up to the Test series.
Flower knows Gooch well from their days together at Essex and says: “I have the utmost respect for him.
“I found it hard to give my time in this new position (team director) to all 15 batsmen in the squad. I needed some help and could not ask for better help than Graham. He brings experience, expertise, a competitive spirit and patriotism. He will be a great guy to have around.”
England, 2-1 up in the series, could become only the second country after Australia to beat South Africa in an ODI series on their own soil this week, an achievement that would provide substance to Flower’s belief that the 50-over team are making genuine progress at last.
A more competitive training regime and increased confidence were two factors, he said. He also singled out the contributions of two players, adding: “The emergence of Jimmy Anderson as a more consistent threat with the ball and Trott as a solid man at one end is contributing towards us progressing.”
Flower did reveal, however, that he had almost pulled Anderson out of the ODI series because of a persistent knee problem and had gone against medical advice to play him in the second match at Centurion. Flower said: “We took a bit of a gamble. We thought we’d better play him to see how his knee reacted and luckily he came through it well.
“He was very surprised how he came through it and so were the medical people and now it’s getting better every day.” Anderson also has a suspected cracked toe but it is not likely to hamper him on Friday.
Alastair Cook returned to action after his back injury with the England Performance Squad in Pretoria against the Highveld Lions. The home side scored 311-6 on the first day with Mark Davies taking 4-56. ‘It is sad to hear that sort of reaction from the fans’
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