Pietersen wants to be near London and in the First Division It has been an open secret for several months that England were seriously contemplating refusing to meet their undertaking to make the trip to Zimbabwe. At stake are future series against several, perhaps all, other nations and the Champions' Trophy, which is scheduled to be staged in England this September.
By postponing their official decision until the end of February, the England and Wales Cricket Board have given themselves four weeks to win the argument. The likelihood is that they will lose it, and that other countries may ultimately decide to boycott games against England.The ECB's chairman, David Morgan, could well find himself vilified by his fellow members on the International Cricket Council's management board. England face becoming outcasts in the international game if they fail to convince other countries of the virtue of their intention to withdraw from the autumn tour of Zimbabwe. He was linked with Somerset last week but it hard to see him playing in Taunton. Pietersen wants to be near London and in the First Division.The richly promising, self-assured batsman of 23 has already had a tortuous career after opting to leave South Africa to qualify for England. He may yet become the first player for whom compensation is paid: effectively the first player to be transferred.. The PCA is not in favour of court action, but that is a decision for Nottinghamshire CCC, Kevin Pietersen and their advisers."It is highly improbable that Pietersen will play for Nottinghamshire next summer but potential suitors, recognising the potential legal repercussions, are remaining silent. No amount of public exposure will alter that - either the parties reach a compromise or a court will decide the issue for them.
The PCA are anxious to keep lawyers out of the matter and have to tread delicately. They are representing a player who wants to break his contract.The association are also angry that the Pietersen case became public. Details of the dispute were leaked by the player's solicitor because Pietersen was frustrated at the lack of progress."We have always emphasised that both sides should abide by their contract," said Bevan "If it is broken, then there are consequences. It is very significant."Unless either party backs down - and there is scant indication of that - the dispute between Pietersen and Nottinghamshire is unlikely to be resolved quickly. "This should be a template for employers and employees in cricket," said Bevan. "It is a contract for all players, replacing things like list-one and list-two players. A new standard contract, drawn up between the ECB and PCA, for all English professionals may help to circumvent it. |
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