Michael Vaughan Feels Kevin Pietersen Was Used As A 'Scapegoat' For Loss Against India

Kevin Pietersen’s exit from the English team remains to be one of the most controversial issues that England cricket has ever witnessed. Now, former English captain, Michael Vaughan has shared his views on England’s treatment of Kevin Pietersen after the series loss to India in 2012.

Pietersen’s international career ended prematurely after a breakdown in relations. Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes ECB failed to handle him properly. Pietersen was one of the most flamboyant hitters of the cricket ball. He was an exceptional talent. But once he returned to England after the tour things went from bad to worse in real quick time.

Michael Vaughan has now opened up on ECB’s dealing with the star player and believes that he was used a scapegoat more often than not.

Michael Vaughan Opens Up On ECB’s Treatment Of Kevin Pietersen

“I just don’t think they were doing that. I think they were just putting it to one side … they managed players brilliantly for many years but I just feel around that time they just let it drift and they were looking for a scapegoat, and he was the perfect excuse …” Vaughan told foxsports.com.au.

Vaughan also said that he felt that Pietersen was brought back to win the Test series in England and then all the blame was put on him when things went bad during the Ashes series in Australia.

“In 2012 his text was bang out of order. Now, where English cricket were wrong in my opinion was they allowed him back in and he went to India,” Michael Vaughan added.

“From (after the tour of India) on you felt like they used him to win a big series and then when it started to go pear-shaped again it was almost as if they had this excuse of why it was and it was always going to be Kevin Pietersen,” he said. Vaughan also said that Pietersen was blamed squarely for England 0-5 whitewash in the Ashes series against Australia in 2013-14, but he didn’t believe that it could all be the mistake of one man,” Vaughan further said.

A Single Man Can Not Be Blamed For The Entire Saga: Michael Vaughan

“We were getting briefed in the comm box through messages from the England coach at the time, Andy Flower, that it was all (because of) Kevin. All I kept hearing was ‘Kevin Pietersen’ and I kept going ‘bullshit, can’t be just one person. Manage him. You can’t allow one person to derail 15. And it can’t be that it’s just him’,” Mihael Vaughan said.

“It was the saddest tour I’ve been on with an England side because it was just the team getting battered and all you could ever hear was fallout within the England camp.” Vaughan was quoted as saying.

Because of this entire episode, Kevin Pietersen’s international career ended prematurely and he is still considered as a ‘wasted talent’ who could have gone on to become one of the legends of the sport.

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