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How good could Kevin Pietersen have become – and where does he rank among England’s greats? Nasser Hussain ponders and looks at KP’s life post-cricket
He entertained, amazed, infuriated and divided. But for many England cricket fans, Kevin Pietersen is the greatest batsman they have ever seen.
He delivered four Ashes wins, a first ICC World Trophy, almost 14,000 international runs and was involved in his fair share of controversy.
In Story of a Genius, Nasser Hussain charts the highs and lows of KP’s England career, as well as his upbringing in South Africa and future plans.
- Episode One: Taking the Leap
- Episode Two: The Perfect Stage
- Episode Three: Friend or Foe?
- Episode Four: Debacle Down Under
In the fifth and final episode, New Horizons, Nasser reflects on KP’s headline-making career and ponders whether his numbers could have been even greater – Graeme Swann says the batsman could have scored 40 or 50 England hundreds if he was more focused on cricket.
3:57 Sir Andrew Strauss says he made mistakes with his handling of Kevin Pietersen during his spell as England captain
Pietersen racked up nearly 14,000 international runs in 277 matches across all formats but where does he rank among England’s greats? David Lloyd, Darren Gough, Steve Harmison and Michael Vaughan are among those to put Pietersen at the very top of the list.
Pietersen, meanwhile, recounts some of his finest centuries, including a quick-fire 151 in sweat-inducing Colombo when he “threw the kitchen sink” at the ball.
Two Oval tons also make the cut – one against South Africa in his first match as captain, plus his first in an England Test shirt as Vaughan’s men went on to regain the Ashes in 2005.
Nasser delves into Pietersen’s post-cricket life, too, including his new-found love of golf but more importantly his passion for rhino conservation.
Pundits and Pietersen’s former team-mates also ponder how the batsman – often controversial, always entertaining and without doubt a genius – will be remembered, with Andrew Strauss saying: “Some of the things he did on the pitch were without peer.”
Sourse: skysports.com
