Strauss admits poor handling of KP saga but maintains IPL can't gain precedence over Test

Former England captain Andrew Strauss admitted that he didn't handle Kevin Pietersen well during his time at helm as flamboyant batsman should have been given some despite t exactly adhering to team ethos. However, Strauss maintained that while he understands why IPL is necessary for players, he still doesn't agree that one should play cash-rich Indian Premier League at cost of Test cricket as it would set a dangerous precedent. Strauss and Pietersen had a major fallout due to ir difference of opinion with regards to ECB policy on IPL.

Strauss admits poor handling of KP saga

"I always had sympathy with KP over IPL," Strauss said on a Sky Sports podcast.

"I understood what a big event it was with all best players playing re toger and huge amounts of money on table as well."

It must be mentioned that when Strauss became ECB's 'Director of Cricket' he created a window for England players to play IPL, something Pietersen advocated for longest time. "Long term my view was that we had to find a window for IPL. I told ECB we couldn't compete against each or as it is going to create massive issues within our team." "But I thought it was incredibly dangerous to allow players to miss Test cricket to play in IPL. mess you'd be sending and precedent you'd be setting is that IPL is more important than Test cricket," he added.

Strauss said that he repeatedly tried to make Pietersen aware why Test cricket is more important. "I was saying to KP at time, 'listen, mate, this is situation. You can't opt in or out of international cricket. You've got obligations to England and hopefully re are gaps where you can play in IPL as well'." After being dropped for good in 2014-15, Pietersen had hit out at some of his teammates like Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in his autobiography, which also included criticism of Strauss for t supporting him.

In hindsight, Strauss feels he could have cut a little slack with maverick batsman.

"I think instead I just let KP be KP. In retrospect that was a mistake and might have sowed seeds for what was to come down track," Strauss admitted.

Strauss made it clear that Pietersen wasn't exactly team-man but England dressing room should have been more accepting.

"I don't think he would have been in engine-room of team in that sense but I've always felt a good team environment embraces difference and finds a for everyone. I think we did that for large periods of time but possibly through neglect, KP became increasingly isolated," Strauss said.

"Often KP wanted to be guy who was slightly separate from team. On any given day it didn't feel like an issue but over time it became an issue."

Some of controversies related to Pietersen included sending text messs to South African players during 2012 Test series between two sides and allegedly insulting Strauss in m. He was dropped after 'Text-gate' scandal and although he was later brought back into side, Pietersen's England career came to an end after 2013-14 Ashes after Alastair Cook's side had lost 5-0. "Would I do things massively differently if I had my time again? Probably t. worst thing you can do for players like KP is to straitjacket m and say 'you have to abide by x, y and z. You can't go and play in a flamboyant way, you have to grind it out like Jonathan Trott'."

"Effectively you'd be asking him to be someone he's t, so you had to cut him some slack and allow him to be himself."

"At times, though, what worked for KP almost undermined what team was trying to do. It felt like re were two completely separate ndas re and that became a problem for me, rest of team and [n head coach] Andy Flower.

"We were all tired, emotional and had spent so much time in each or's pockets. Probably if we had a bit more to think clearly it might t have got to that st and we might have mand it better."

But Strauss doesn't have any regrets for reprimands that stylish batsman got for his alleged off-field misdemeaurs.

"But I don't look back and think 'we were wrong to call KP out over some of things he did'. I think we had to do that." 

Im credits: AP