England wicketkeeper Matt Prior yesterday pledged to respond to former international teammate Kevin Pietersen’s claims that he was “back-stabbing” and a “bad influence” on the team.
Pietersen made the accusations in an explosive interview with British newspaper the Daily Telegraph published yesterday, ahead of the release of his autobiography on Thursday.
The South Africa-born batsman, axed by England earlier this year, claimed there had been a “bullying” culture under former head coach Andy Flower, but saved his most stinging criticism for Prior.
Responding on Twitter, Prior wrote: “Obvs (obviously) sad to see the accusations against me this am (morning) and I WILL have my right of reply! However today is not the day and Twitter is not the place for it!
“Now back to my Achilles rehab and learning to walk again! have a great day everyone.”
He also joked: “After this morning, I’m looking forward to reading the full kp book. Might bully my kids into getting it for me for Xmas!!”
Pietersen claimed that Prior was the ringleader of a group including senior bowlers Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, who would lay into their teammates for dropping catches. “He never left alone (Nick) Compton or Ravi (Bopara) or Trotty (Jonathan Trott).
Meanwhile ex-England all-rounder Dominic Cork said suggestions Pietersen had been the victim of bullying were wide of the mark. “He was the person who had his own seat on the bus, and no one else could sit on that seat because that was Kevin’s seat,” Cork told talkSPORT radio. “He wants to put out this story because he feels the way he was treated was unjust.
“Andy Flower took England to number one in the world so he did something right. There was a clash of personalities, they didn’t get on, so this is about getting back at Flower.”