SM
Liverpool vs. Villa: 21 hrs 35 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

South Africa staying out of Kevin Pietersen saga

:Headline: South Africa staying out of Kevin Pietersen saga: ID:40348: from db_amp
Graeme Smith reveals that his South African squad will not be getting involved in the ongoing feud between Kevin Pietersen and English cricket.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith has insisted that his squad are steering clear of the ongoing saga between Kevin Pietersen and the England cricket team.

Batsman Pietersen has been dropped from the final Test match between the two nations at Lord's later this week following revelations that he sent text messages to his friends in the South African squad which criticised some of his England teammates.

Despite apologising for his conduct, Pietersen has been told by England captain Andrew Strauss that he has a lot of work to do before he will be considered for recall.

Meanwhile, Strauss's opposite number Smith has revealed that his side a fully focused on the upcoming Test match, rather than getting dragged into the ongoing saga.

"It is between Kevin and the ECB and it is not for us to get involved," he told reporters. "We are committed to that stance, people are trying to say we have been involved, but our manager has made it clear throughout what has been going on.

"KP is a world class player who has proved that wherever he has played. No doubt he is a big loss, but obviously, there is a talent pool in English cricket, so whoever comes in we will respect in the same way we respect Kevin.

"Naturally, to lose a guy who has played 90 Tests is a change of dynamic."

Although he plays for England, Pietersen was actually born in South Africa.

amp_article__40348 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2012-08-15 17:16:39:
html db last update - 2012-08-15 17:16:39 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Graeme Smith

Click here for more stories about South Africa

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .