Talent like KP needed to be handled with care: David Gower

Image
Press Trust of India Chennai
Last Updated : Jan 30 2016 | 10:48 PM IST
Former England Captain David Gower feels that an "extraordinary talent" like Kevin Pietersen needed to a good captain, who could have guided him in right direction.
"Captains like Mike Brearley, Ray Illingworth or Ian Chappell may be have taken him by neck little earlier. There was a chance to keep him under control. He is an extraordinary talent," Gower said here today during a lecture at the Jolly Rovers Cricket Club, here this evening.
"People want to watch him (Pietersen) play. May be a strong leader would have told him to calm down saying you are a great player. Kevin was probably rude but he was not vengeful. He knows about people," Gower said.
"You talk about football, he knows the many in the game. There are people who make more money than him. If you play football in England, it is 20 million pounds a year. Kevin needed some sort of separation from the temptations. If you play well, everything falls in place. One should be separated from the ability to be a good teamman and part of the team. I think Kevin was misled," Gower analysed.
Gower felt that English captains should have intimated ECB earlier when Pietersen was pulling in the wrong direction.
"Sadly for him, whenever he did those text msgs (to South African cricketers), he did them under trust and whatever he did subsequently, he should have been told that Kevin you are a good player.
"When he went to Australia, he had never been a proper smoking gun. There was no one major incident. At no stage, Kevin asked for the nose from the baseball bat. If the captain (Alastair Cook) had said to Kevin: "Kevin play for me and if the Captain had said to the ECB that he will manage this man and he is a great player..The captain would have got his way.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 30 2016 | 10:48 PM IST

Next Story