Chennai: Former England captain Kevin Pietersen teased the Indian team Tuesday for comprehensively beating what he called ‘England B’. The former England batsman got cheeky while congratulating India after their win in the second Test here Tuesday. “Badhai ho india, England B Ko harane ke liye (Congratulations India, for beating England B),” Kevin Pietersen wrote in Hindi on his Twitter handle.
After that, the former star batsman again lashed out at the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He criticised the ECB for the strange move to continue its rotation policy even for such a massive series against India.
“You don’t pick your best team in the hardest place to WIN a Test match, you actually cannot even show emotion to it,” Pietersen wrote. He also expressed his surprise at the England team management’s decision to send back Moeen Ali. Incidentally Ali picked up eight wickets (four in each innings) in the just-concluded game.
“We played in 2005 on terrestrial TV and BEAT Aus (Australia). It changed the game of cricket in this country. Cricket goes back to terrestrial TV for this HUGE series and England don’t pick their best team for it. Moeen Ali now going home after ONE Test. Wow,” Pietersen wondered.
ECB has introduced the rotation policy to keep all their players in peak physical condition in the year of the T20 World Cup. So England rested veteran pacer James Anderson for the second Test. This decision was taken despite losing Jofra Archer to elbow injury just before the game. India were done in by Anderson’s reverse swing on the fifth day of the first Test.
Among other big players, England also sent back Jos Buttler after the win in the series-opener. They also rested off-spinner Dom Bess for the second Test.