Leaked report is not the Pietersen dossier, insist the ECB

The England and Wales Cricket Board insists a document leaked to the media is a draft internal email rather than Andy Flower’s dossier on Kevin Pietersen’s alleged misdemeanours during last winter’s Ashes.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Oct 2014, 01:05 BST
Kevin Pietersen leaving the field after losing his wicket for 6 runs during day three of the Fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia.Kevin Pietersen leaving the field after losing his wicket for 6 runs during day three of the Fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia.
Kevin Pietersen leaving the field after losing his wicket for 6 runs during day three of the Fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia.

A four-page list of incidents marked ‘Strictly Privileged and Confidential’ has made its way to the Cricinfo website, but the ECB were at pains last night to insist it is not “what it is purported to be”.

The governing body did not deny the existence of the document, or a fuller ‘dossier’, but made clear in a statement that the text in the hands of the media outlet should not be equated in any way to a tour report by former coach Flower on Pietersen.

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The star batsman was sacked by the ECB in February, following England’s Ashes whitewash defeat last winter.

Pietersen himself has referred in his autobiography to a “‘dossier’, a four-page document that lists my crimes in Australia”.

But he concludes: “I would love to see a copy of this dossier.

“The problem is it does not exist.”

The ECB sought to clarify the status of the text apparently leaked to the media, in a short statement.

It read: “This document is not what it is purported to be.

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“It is simply a small part of a private legal email, compiling facts as part of the ECB lawyers’ internal due diligence in preparation for the publication of Kevin Pietersen’s book.”

Pietersen’s turbulent tour ended with what seems certain to be the final Test of his 10-year international career, and subsequent observations from new ECB managing director Paul Downton that he had appeared “disinterested and disengaged” as England plunged to a fifth consecutive defeat in Sydney.

Meanwhile, former England and Yorkshire fast bowler Ajmal Shahzad has admitted he was surprised when England team-mate Jonathan Trott made an apparently forced apology for a fielding mistake.

Shahzad corroborated Pietersen’s claims that young England players were singled out if they misfielded off senior team-mates. Shahzad recalls being made to feel as if it was a “bit of a disgrace” if he made a mistake. On his debut, in a Twenty20 against Pakistan in Dubai, Trott said sorry to the entire team for a costly overthrow.

“I remember the next day we had a meeting, (and) Trotty came to the front and apologised for what he’d done,” said Shahzad. “The feeling was he was made to.”