I've been away for the last week or so, taking in some of the fabulous Olympic atmosphere in London, not to mention some memorable sport in weightlifting, handball and water polo. No cricket but there are sort of parallels between some of our top players and stars of the Games.
Jacques Kallis has been a superstar for years but until recently has never performed to his potential at the home of his sport. Same goes for Bradley Wiggins. Ravi Bopara has been an intermittent shining beam of talent but with some personal issues which intervene. Ditto, Phillips Idowu. Graeme Smith turns up every four years and produces the goods, as does the wonderful Ben Ainslie on the water. There is also the supremely gifted sportsman, arguably the best in Britain, who has worked wonders without quite winning over home supporters. His demeanour and comments have led to suggestions that his heart isn't quite dedicated fully to the cause. Andy Murray and Kevin Pietersen both! For the Scot, along came Wimbledon and that tear-drenched after-match speech. KP pledges his future to England's Test cause. and and last week's surprise annihilation of Federer to claim tennis gold.
So what does Pietersen go and do? First he declares that he'll play for England but only if the schedule suits him and moan that the ECB rules be changed just so that he can opt out of the 50-over format whilst playing in the world T20 tourney. Quite rightly, Andy Flower et al responded by omitting him from the T20 squad. KP produced a brilliant century at Headingley and, arrogantly believing that should make him impregnable, announces that the next Test will be his last, allegedly slags off colleagues on Twitter to England's opponents.
Finally, the selectors have lost their patience and acted as perhaps they should have done last week. They've dropped Pietersen from his international swansong, leaving him to celebrate his career alone, with only his ego for company. What a shame he didn't take a leaf out of Andy Murray's book (and that of Tendulkar et al) and demonstrate the humility, honour and character which have distinguished the spirit of the 2012 Olympics. The statistics show what a towering figure KP has been in England cricket for the past seven years, from the 2005 Ashes to the Second Test against South Africa. Now his epitaph will read: great cricketer, even bigger ego, but not above his sport.
