Sharing a different brand of bonding, former England spinner Graeme Swann has opened about his relation with flamboyant batsman and ex-captain Kevin Pietersen. Swann during a podcast called ‘In the Pink’ revealed that despite the differences between the two players, both of them wanted each other in the side for the contribution they made.
“We are a team that got to number one in the world, and in a team, there are always going to be individuals.”
Swann retired from international cricket back in 2013 after scalping 255 Test wickets in 60 appearances. Pietersen on the other side had a brief stint as the captain before indulging in an ugly spat with the then coach Peter Moores. He led England in three Tests and 10 ODIs.
Pietersen might have led the side for a short span but he was a prolific batsman. In 104 Tests that he played for England, the South Africa-born cricketer scored 8181 runs while smacked 4440 runs in 136 ODIs.
The right-handed batsman for axed from the national side after England lost the 2013-14 Ashes series. Pietersen had sent some texts to some South African players during the Headingley Test in 2012 criticising the then captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower.
